San Sebastián 21.6 2025 #SpringsteenTour2025

We arrived in Bilbao the day before the concert, and it was hot, around 40°C and completely windless. We tried to do some sightseeing, but had to go back to the hotel and wait a while before heading out again at 9pm for a beer and some local pintxos.

On the morning of the show, Jonathan from Chattanooga, who Oliver had connected with through the BTX forum, kindly picked us up for the 1.5-hour drive from his hotel at the airport, to San Sebastián in his rental. It was a generous offer and a really nice way to start the day. We chatted the whole way, mostly trading stories about our Bruce travels, and arrived and parked the car in plenty of time to get a feel for the city before heading to the stadium.

One fun thing about travelling to Bruce shows is how often a Springsteen T-shirt turns into a conversation starter. At breakfast that morning, a gentleman came up to me after spotting mine and asked about the concert. He was from New Jersey and didn’t even known Bruce was playing in Spain, but mentioned that he’d seen Springsteen open for Chicago already back in 1973.

Later in San Sebastián, Bruce shirts were everywhere. As we walked through the city, you’d catch someone’s eye, nod, and exchange that quick moment of mutual understanding, no words needed.

When we set out to get a feel for the city, Oliver and I casually, purposely passed by Bruce’s hotel 😃. The front entrance was packed with fans hoping for a glimpse, but we wandered around to the quieter back entrance instead. That’s where I spotted background singer Lisa Lowell walking out. No one else seemed to recognise her. Most people were probably on Bruce-watch so I just said, “Hi, Lisa! See you tonight.” She smiled back.

A little further along, we saw her again, sitting on a bench with photographer Rob DeMartin and Bruce’s sister Pam Springsteen, who’s also a photographer. They looked relaxed, so we left them in peace and continued on our way.

Just as we entered the Estadio Reale Arena, a light rain started to fall (ponchos out!), and it kept raining on and off throughout the night. The concert itself was solid, but our spot wasn’t ideal. In front of us were two men with their non-Springsteen-fan wives (?), who spent most of the show taking selfies and even started arguing loudly during Bruce’s heartfelt and important speech before My City of Ruins. Even when people around them tried to hush them, they wouldn’t stop. That’s when Oliver had enough and moved further back and, after a while, I followed him.

It turned out to be the right decision. There was room to breathe and room to dance. Even two of the beer vendors had given up on selling and were dancing along. One of them was clearly enjoying himself trying to copy my moves and (not so discreetly) pouring a bit of the beer he was supposed to be selling into his own cup.

The setlist was nothing special, no big surprises, but the audience was loud, cheerful, and fully into it. Despite the rain and a few annoying people early on, it turned into a good night. It was my 50th show. It’s a small number in the company I keep, but still.

On the drive back to Bilbao, the rain picked up again and there was lightning in the distance 😱. Traffic was heavier than expected, but it didn’t really matter. We kept busy talking about the show while Jonathan played rare Springsteen versions through the car speakers.

Now Oliver’s flying home to work, but he managed to convince me to stay a bit longer. This afternoon I’m catching a bus back to San Sebastián, where I’ve booked a hotel for two nights. For the night after the next show, I’ll be crashing on the sofa at Norbert’s Airbnb. Onward to show no. 51!

P.S. In my last post I complained about all the signs begging Bruce for stuff; harmonicas, guitar picks and hugs. This time there was a sign asking for “another hug”. Really? One hug wasn’t enough? Some people are just getting greedy now.