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Set Lusting Bruce: The Bruce Springsteen Fan Podcast

Set Lusting Bruce: The Bruce Springsteen Fan Podcast

By: Jesse Jackson
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About this listen

 🎙️ Set Lusting Bruce is more than a podcast—it's a celebration of connection through the music of Bruce Springsteen. Hosted by longtime contact center leader and community builder Jesse Jackson, each episode invites fans from all walks of life to share their personal stories, favorite lyrics, and the moments where Bruce’s music met them right where they were. Whether you're a die-hard E Street devotee or someone who just discovered Thunder Road, this show is your backstage pass to heartfelt conversations, unexpected insights, and the kind of camaraderie only music can spark. From tales of redemption and resilience to laughter over setlist debates, Set Lusting Bruce is where fandom becomes family. Because as Bruce once sang, “We learned more from a three-minute record than we ever learned in school.” Proud Member of the Pantheon Podcast Network.2015-2023 Jesse Jackson Music
Episodes
  • Springsteen Shows, Strong Jewish Women & New Novels with Author Sara Goodman-Confino

    Springsteen Shows, Strong Jewish Women & New Novels with Author Sara Goodman-Confino
    Feb 26 2026
    Host Jesse Jackson welcomes author and former teacher Sara Goodman-Confino to Set Lusting Bruce to talk Bruce Springsteen, fandom, and fiction. Sara shares her path from 21 years teaching to writing full-time, her Springsteen origin story rooted in hearing “Atlantic City” during a difficult college week, and her family’s deep reading culture. She recounts seeing Bruce live (including being pulled onstage in Charlottesville in 2012 with a “Can I dance with Jake?” sign), attending dozens of shows, favorite songs and albums (especially Born to Run and “Backstreets”), and sending Bruce a copy of her novel Don’t Forget to Write featuring a brief Bruce cameo. They discuss Sara’s focus on humorous, intergenerational stories with strong female characters and “Jewish joy,” including why she writes Jewish characters beyond suffering narratives and how her novels highlight the recentness of women’s legal and social limitations. Sara previews upcoming projects, including her June 9 release Off the Record about a young woman in a 1960s newspaper typing pool who uncovers a Cuban spy plot, plus a planned 2027 novel centered on the Beatles’ first U.S. concert after Ed Sullivan. Find more about her and her books here - https://saraconfino.com/ 00:00 Welcome to Set Lusting Bruce + Meet Author Sara Goodman Canino 00:53 From Teacher to Full-Time Writer: Beyond the Palace Origins 03:54 Growing Up with Books & Classic Rock (and Early Bruce Memories) 05:24 The Springsteen Mix CD That Got Her Through Grief 10:13 Writing Strong Women & Finding Her Voice (Humor, Publishing, Historical Fiction) 13:29 Jewish Joy on the Page: Representation Beyond Trauma 16:28 Intergenerational Healing: The Mother-in-Law Story Behind Good Grief 19:24 New Release Spotlight: Off the Record—Jewish Romcom Meets Cold War Spy Thriller 23:00 Why the Early ’60s Still Matters: Women’s Rights, Research, and Remembering History 27:34 Why These Stories Matter (Especially for Younger Readers) 29:04 Next Novel Tease: The 1964 DC Beatles Show + A Photographer’s Big Break 31:12 Switching Gears to Bruce: The ‘Dance with Jake’ Sign & Getting Pulled Onstage 34:20 Counting Shows & Favorite Springsteen Songs (Born to Run, Backstreets, Sandy) 37:29 Have You Met Bruce? Mailing Him a Book + The New Jersey Cameo 39:27 Family Concert Memories: Dad, Uncle, and the Legendary Ticket Scores 42:46 What’s Next as a Writer: Secret Projects, Building an Audience & Future Horror Book 44:09 Thunder Road Debate: Does Mary Get in the Car? (Plus ‘Waves’ vs ‘Sways’) 44:58 Where to Find Sara: Socials, Website, Buying Options & Final Wrap-Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    53 mins
  • High Hopes and Thunder Road: Ann Abel on Bruce Springsteen, Depression, and a Life‑Changing Australia Tour

    High Hopes and Thunder Road: Ann Abel on Bruce Springsteen, Depression, and a Life‑Changing Australia Tour
    Feb 24 2026
    Jesse Jackson welcomes back author **Ann Abel**, whose memoir *High Hopes* Jesse calls one of his favorite reads of 2025. Abel—who discovered Bruce Springsteen at age 59—shares the extraordinary story behind her book: how a lifetime of severe depression, the loss of her teaching career, and a desperate need for structure pushed her to book a solo trip to Australia for **eight Springsteen shows across five cities in 26 days**. What began as an escape from “the abyss” became a journey of fear, resilience, connection, and unexpected joy. Ann recounts: - **Battling self‑doubt and loneliness** while navigating a foreign country alone - A terrifying night stranded after the Hunter Valley show when her driver vanished and her flip phone died - Quiet, intimate moments of being “invisible” in hotel lobbies near E Street Band members - Meeting Bruce’s longtime manager **Barbara Carr**, the conversations that followed, and the fundraiser where Ann won a silent auction to **co‑host SiriusXM’s E Street Radio with Dave Marsh** - The months of intense rock‑history study she undertook to prepare—and the unforgettable on‑air moment when she corrected a punk‑rock attribution - How storytelling open mics and winning a **Moth StorySLAM** helped her break through writer’s block and finally write *High Hopes* - Seeing the Springsteen movie and feeling deeply validated hearing Bruce speak openly about struggle - The concert moments that changed her life, including “Dream Baby Dream” and Bruce’s reminder that “It’s all right to have a good time” Ann also talks about her recent **TEDx talk**, her unexpected rise as a late‑in‑life social‑media creator with **750,000 followers and multiple viral videos**, her upcoming travels, and the joy of becoming a grandparent. She closes by sharing where listeners can follow her work online. This is an episode about music, survival, reinvention, and the way Bruce Springsteen’s art can crack open a life at any age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • Here we go again - Ticket Drama 2026 - a Jessetorial

    Here we go again - Ticket Drama 2026 - a Jessetorial
    Feb 21 2026
    Feeling the pinch from ticket prices? Remember, wisdom can be found in every decision. Don't miss my take on making peace with concert costs and loving the music, wherever you are! 🌟 #SetLustingBruce #ConcertWisdom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    7 mins
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