Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Set Lusting Bruce Pitchfork Editor Sam Sodomsky on Springsteen Obsession, Wrecking Ball Tour Magic, and His New Album “Take Leave”
Description
Host Jesse Jackson welcomes Sam Sodomsky, senior editor at Pitchfork and musician behind The Bird Calls, to discuss how a childhood encounter with a “Dancing in the Dark” parody sparked a lifelong Springsteen obsession that led him to guitar, songwriting, and writing about music. Sam shares growing up in Reading, Pennsylvania, collecting bootlegs and books, and even creating a mock Springsteen biography, then traces his path through blogging, an MFA in nonfiction at Columbia, and a decade at Pitchfork. He recounts standout Wrecking Ball Tour memories, including receiving Bruce’s harmonica, singing “Waiting on a Sunny Day” at Jazz Fest, and briefly meeting Bruce and Jon Landau backstage in London. Sam also talks about his new record “Take Leave,” his interest in poetry, his thoughts on Tracks II, and answers the “Mary” question.
https://www.instagram.com/samsodomsky/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4OvIlGI9oNdXSUBTggvQrC?si=qOxLiXqxRci2bWbMyG8zVQ
https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/WECs6IXJy7hrnxzkLV9H/traffic.megaphone.fm/PAN9367916550.mp3
00:00 Podcast Intro
00:39 Opening Lyrics Montage
02:22 Meet Sam From Pitchfork
03:35 Growing Up In Reading
04:49 Why Bruce Hit Home
07:57 From Fan To Musician
09:40 Books Bootlegs And Obsession
12:08 Counting Shows And Setlists
14:50 Wrecking Ball Tour Stories
17:05 Onstage At Jazz Fest
20:39 Meeting Bruce Backstage
22:17 Pitchfork Writing Journey
25:08 Brian Wilson Tribute Essay
27:04 Beach Boys Mythos
28:49 Writing Beyond Journalism
30:11 Dream Interviews
31:25 Learning Songcraft
33:17 Springsteen Album Lessons
36:41 New Album Take Leave
40:20 Tracks II Deep Dive
45:30 Future Music Plans
47:23 Thunder Road Mary
50:59 Wrap Up And Plugs
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices