Three beloved artists from New Jersey and New York have been generating a lot of buzz recently. They happen to be long-time favorites of The Aquarian and have graced our pages an innumerable amount of times.
If Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and Billy Joel were your guesses, you’re in luck! The podcasts featured in this installment are dedicated to the aforementioned icons and hosted by die-hard fans.
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band returned to the road last night in Phoenix, and the Best of Bruce Springsteen collection, a career-spanning celebration of Springsteen’s original music, is out on April 19 via Sony Music. The local legends will also be coming home to headline Sea.Hear.Now on September 15 in Asbury Park. What a year already! Set Lusting Bruce is a podcast dedicated to “the Boss” and hosted by Jesse Jackson. Jesse has been talking to Bruce Springsteen fans from around the world as he believes every Springsteen fan has something to say and it’s his job to share their experiences. In fact, there have been well over 1,000 episodes documenting how the magic and power of music has helped them celebrate successes and mourn losses. Every conversation on Set Lusting Bruce ends with the quintessential question, “Does Mary get in the car at the end of ‘Thunder Road’?” and the responses range from introspective to humorous. I’ve been a guest on the podcast twice and it has been different both times. (I would love to return to set the answer in stone once and for all!) The show has “B-Side” discussions with musicians and fans of music unrelated to Bruce Springsteen that are equally captivating. Jesse is a pro interviewer and makes all of his interviewees comfortable. Those two components make Set Lusting Bruce a must-listen.
Bon Jovi is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the self-titled debut album which was released on January 21, 1984 via Polygram/Mercury Records. The upcoming four-part docuseries, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, is debuting on Hulu in the U.S. on April 26, and the band is releasing their 16th studio album, Forever, on June 7 via EMI. We got a preview last week with a track that is “Legendary” indeed. Additionally, Jon Bon Jovi was named 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year and was honored with an all-star tribute concert at the L.A. Convention Center featuring Bruce Springsteen, Shania Twain, Melissa Etheridge, Sammy Hagar, Jason Isbell, Jelly Roll, Pat Monahan of TRAIN, and many others. The above podcast Bon Jovi Discussions revolves around Sayreville, New Jersey’s darlings. Jerry Braden is at the helm along with guests who share opinions on current happenings, fan origin stories, and folks in the Bon Jovi orbit. In fact, Jerry has seen Bon Jovi perform at least 70 times. That’s dedication if you ask me! It is honest and genuine – two qualities paramount in this medium. Bon Jovi Discussions is another example of a podcast where both interviewer and interviewee share an affinity for an artist that has been in our hearts for decades.
Last, but certainly not least, Billy Joel has been in the news for so many wonderful reasons. He released his first single in decades, “Turn the Lights Back On,” and brought a stunning performance to the Grammys stage. Joel is headlining baseball stadiums with Sting, Stevie Nicks, and Rod Stewart later this year and the albums from The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 1 are coming to vinyl individually on April 5. If that wasn’t enough, CBS announced it would stream Billy Joel’s 100th concert at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, April 14; the two-hour special, titled The 100th: Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden — The Greatest Run Of All Time, marks the first time a Billy Joel concert will air on a broadcast network. It will be filmed at his March 28 show and will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. The “Piano Man” is set to perform the final show of his residency in July. Glass Houses – A Billy Joel Podcast is a podcast created by lifelong Billy Joel fans, Michael Grosvenor and Jack Firneno. They share stories and take deep dives about everything Billy. Topics range from album retrospectives, interviews with band members or insiders, concert reviews, and personal playlists. Michael and Jack not only share a love for Billy and music in general – they are also both drummers. They met in a Billy Joel Facebook group and have been going strong for over four years. The episodes of Glass Houses – A Billy Joel Podcast flow like a “river of dreams” and I enjoy every minute.
Bruce, Bon Jovi, and Billy are undeniable legends and these podcasts are produced with reverence and dedication. There’s nothing better than hearing music fans share their adoration with fellow melomaniacs.
SET LUSTING BRUCE, BON JOVI DISCUSSIONS & GLASS HOUSES – A BILLY JOEL PODCAST ARE AVAILABLE WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO PODCASTS!
