Set Lusting Bruce: The Bruce Springsteen Fan Podcast

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes writer and musician David Starkey to Set Listing Bruce to discuss Starkey’s book On Track: Bruce Springsteen 1973–1987, Every Album, Every Song and his lifelong relationship to Springsteen’s recorded work. Starkey shares how growing up between Sacramento and summers in Beaumont shaped his musical tastes, from Johnny Cash and Aerosmith to discovering Springsteen via Greetings and being captivated by Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town. They talk about the current tour, its political tone, Tom Morello’s guitar work, ticket prices, and setlist debates. Starkey explains his writing process, what he learned by re-listening (especially the importance of piano), and why 1987 marks an era’s end. The conversation also touches on poetry vs. lyrics, Starkey’s interview series The Creative Community, upcoming projects, and the “Mary question” from Thunder Road.

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bruce-Springsteen-1973-1987/David-Starkey/On-Track/9781789524710

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:39 Meeting David

02:03 Early Music Obsessions

03:44 Family Sounds and Travel

06:59 Johnny Cash Tangent

09:04 Finding Springsteen

10:03 Live Shows and Politics

13:54 Ticket Prices Debate

14:28 Writing and Poetry

18:08 Why This Bruce Book

20:05 Born in the USA Memories

22:14 Researching the Albums

23:53 Why Stop at 1987

25:43 Concert Banter Debate

26:59 River Tour Pacing

27:55 Writing More Personally

29:33 Hot Takes On Songs

30:51 Family Discovers Nebraska

32:06 Biopic Who Is It For

34:35 Bruce Creative Evolution

36:46 Never Repeating Himself

39:41 His Interview Show Origins

41:09 Next Books And Memoir

44:12 Where To Find The Book

45:54 Final Thanks And Signoff

46:24 Podcast Housekeeping

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Pride Month Reflections, Bruce as Lifeline, and the Thunder Road “Mary” Question (with Beverly)

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes Beverly, a longtime Bruce Springsteen fan from Missouri now living in Kentucky, to discuss how Springsteen’s writing—especially around gender and politics—has resonated throughout her life. Beverly shares growing up with little music at home, discovering Bruce through “Dancing in the Dark” at 17, and how Born in the U.S.A. became her gateway to the full catalog. She recounts missing the Born in the U.S.A. tour, first seeing Bruce on the Human Touch/Lucky Town tour, later seeing the E Street Band on the Reunion Tour, and attending about 25 shows including Wrecking Ball-era dates and Springsteen on Broadway. They talk about fandom as comfort during family milestones, illness, and political turmoil, favorite tour moments and speeches, underrated songs she hopes to hear (“Spare Parts,” “Moonlight Motel”), and end with Beverly’s answer to whether Mary gets in the car in “Thunder Road.”

00:00 Welcome and Introductions
01:24 Beverly Background
02:06 Growing Up Without Music
04:02 First Records and Covers
05:05 Discovering Bruce at 17
09:21 First Concerts and Tours
11:20 Counting Shows and Empty Nest
12:05 Bruce and Bourbon Trip
15:07 Concert Adventures and Broadway
17:05 Songs as Family Soundtrack
18:29 Bruce Politics and Hope
21:41 Letter to You in 2020
24:40 Passing Fandom to Kids
27:31 Nebraska and Dark Stories
28:02 Tour Highlights and Moments
28:27 Speeches Hit Hard
29:06 Defending the Setlist
29:55 Catalog Depth Debate
32:17 Songs Change With Age
34:00 Lyrics as Lifelines
35:56 Family Fan Moments
37:02 Songs Theyre Chasing
42:04 Whats Next for Bruce
43:13 Reunion Tour to Rising
53:11 Thunder Road vs Sandy
54:56 Final Thanks and Goodbye

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Host Jesse Jackson welcomes John Gulla to Set Lusting Bruce for a wide-ranging conversation beyond Springsteen. John, a Miami native, describes discovering music early, teaching himself by ear, forming a high-school a cappella group that pursued recording contracts and moved from Miami to New York and Washington, DC, before he left the group around age 25 due to financial realities and marketing challenges. He discusses choosing bass guitar, being left-handed, and returning to the University of Miami by working there to complete a Classics degree and a master’s. A devoted Firefly fan, John recounts contributing to The Signal and attending Awesome Con. He then pitches his six-year Rumcast podcast, explaining rum’s global diversity, additive issues, and entry recommendations, plus their Rumcast Reserve bottlings. John answers the “Mary question.”

https://www.rumcast.com/

00:00 Patreon Thanks

01:29 Meet John and Tonight’s Topics

02:03 Early Music Spark

03:05 Musical Home and Learning by Ear

05:45 High School A Cappella Crew

07:08 Chasing the Dream to NYC

08:15 MTV Karaoke and Record Deals

09:35 When to Walk Away

13:01 Parents Support and Band Fallout

15:33 Marketing Challenges and Aftermath

16:53 Why Bass Guitar

19:15 Reinventing Through College

21:50 Classics and Love of Latin

24:24 Firefly Fandom Begins

27:24 The Signal and Early Podcasting

30:09 Awesome Con Trip

31:40 Panels and Fandom Fun

32:37 Rumcast Origin Story

36:20 Rum Rules and Additives

41:13 Starter Rum Picks

45:54 Firefly Podcast Pact

46:19 Animated Firefly Hopes

49:48 Why Firefly Endures

52:30 Rumcast Reserve Update

53:26 Thunder Road Mary

56:04 Wrap and Housekeeping
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Host Jesse Jackson welcomes Springsteen fan Audrey Hunn, a Philly-born travel agent and craft business owner, who recalls discovering Bruce through The River at summer camp and building friendships via the E Street community and her nearly 10,000-member Facebook group, “Calling All Bruce Springsteen Fans.” Audrey estimates she has attended close to 200 shows, praises the latest tour’s sound, song choices, and the Morello “Ghost of Tom Joad” performance, and describes pivotal experiences: her first show in Philadelphia the night John Lennon was killed, getting a long-sought jacket autograph at the Sirius “Carousel” Promise event, enduring an overnight wait to be first at a Freehold book signing, hosting Jake Clemons for a living-room show, and dancing with Bruce during “Dancing in the Dark” after 56 days sober. She discusses nine years of sobriety, how Bruce’s music helped, and answers that Mary Question.
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Host Jesse Jackson welcomes Denver-based Springsteen fan Tracey Konigsbauer, who grew up in Philadelphia and says Bruce has always been in her blood. Tracey shares her musical influences (soul, R&B, Prince, The Roots, classic hip hop, The Beatles), her own playing (saxophone inspired by Clarence Clemons, plus guitar), and her move to Colorado. She discusses how Tunnel of Love became her gateway to deeply absorbing Bruce’s lyrics, reflects on seeing Bruce seven times on the East Coast (including Meadowlands and Philly), and recalls an emotional 2012 Philly performance of “Jungleland” after Clarence’s passing as Jake Clemons took the solo. Tracey talks about Bruce and politics, songs she loves and chases, being moved by “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” her local music life in Denver, and answers the “Thunder Road” question: she doesn’t think Mary gets in the car.

00:00 Show Intro

00:48 Meet Tracey

02:38 Denver And East Coast Shows

04:43 Musical Roots And Influences

06:52 Moving Without A Network

10:36 Discovering Bruce Early

11:43 Tunnel Of Love Connection

14:37 Seven Shows And Favorites

16:17 Jungleland Without Clarence

18:08 Bruce And Politics

22:13 Songs That Matter Most

23:24 Top Bruce Picks

23:57 Shore Album Memories

24:40 Marys Place Porch Flashback

26:23 Husband Joins The Fun

28:36 Songs Still Chasing

29:39 Letter To You Grief

31:59 Concert Buddies And First Show

33:00 Red Rocks And Summer Shows

36:41 Sports Allegiance And Bruce Truce

39:19 Does Mary Get In

40:45 Final Thoughts And Real Estate

43:34 Podcast Farewell Message
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