Ghosts drifted through Madrid this Wednesday as Bruce Springsteen returned after eight years away. One fear hovered: would his voice hold up? The previous European tour dates had been postponed last minute due to hoarseness. The other worry was the weather; Madrid’s fickle spring threatened to dampen the Book Fair festivities. Yet those concerns quickly dissolved. Afternoon sun lit the city for several hours before the show, and Springsteen hit the stage in strong form, vocally and physically energetic enough to set the night on track. The only real storm in the Metropolitano was the outpouring of joy from the audience as his E Street Band followed with nearly three hours of epic rock anthems, timeless classics, and a palpable bond with the crowd that, even if not unusually frequent in majestic moments, still leaves lasting memories.
At 9:20 PM, with a delay unusual for a performer famed for punctuality, Springsteen stepped out to greet Madrid with his familiar enthusiasm, delivering a hearty, “Hello Madrid! Are you ready?” in a refrain he repeats three times, as if he could still predict what would unfold. Dressed in a white shirt, dark tie, and vest, he opened with “Lonesome Days,” followed by the fast, brass-driven attack of “No Surrender,” a version he seems to favor lately. He pulled no punches with a voice that pushed to the edge, though in “Ghosts” there were signs of wear after more than seven decades and a career that has included countless high‑octane nights; the voice shows signs of needing more warm‑ups than in the past. Still, he pressed on, enduring as well as he could.
The opening salvo was electric, with the band delivering brisk tempos and guitar flourishes that showed Springsteen’s own skill on the instrument. The E Street Band moved like a finely tuned machine, with Max Weinberg’s drums providing a precise metronome, brass shining, Roy Bittan at the piano, and Nils Lofgren on guitar placing melodies exactly where they belong. Jack Clemons, Clarence Clemons’ nephew, filled in on sax after his uncle’s passing and, perhaps due to youth, proved the most agile on stage, moving close to the leader and sharing vocal duties. Steve Van Zandt offered a strong, if slightly less effective, guitar counterpart, but his presence on screen was magnetic: a towering silhouette beside the boss, the iconic figure from a beloved series, in large, memorable frames.
That musical richness, however, collided with a sound quality that was, for much of the night in the stadium setting, less than ideal. The press section heard a muddied mix with little tonal balance, and a few attendees who spoke to this reporter agreed: the sound didn’t quite match the spectacle or the ticket price. Madrid’s venues, alike in challenge, seem to share this issue. Yet despite the audio battles and the elements, the show’s energy remained potent enough to keep the evening from being diminished by technical flaws.
Intense emotional moments
The first tempo drop arrives with “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” a song about the struggles of ordinary people that helped cement Springsteen as a working-class hero, even as merchandise prices sparked a moment of skepticism. When he reaches “Rockin’ All Over the World,” with a chorus that is almost hymn-like in its crowd participation, the stadium erupts. The night’s first outpouring of collective joy comes with the opening bars of “Hungry Heart,” where Springsteen invites the audience to sing, then steps in close for a closer look, with Clemons and brass providing a grand backing.
But a concert by Springsteen isn’t all celebration. There are quiet, reflective moments when the singer performs solo, with the arena dimmed and thousands of phone lights flickering. “If I Was the Priest” is a folk-leaning, gospel-tinged number that still moves him deeply, and he is visibly touched by memories as he revisits “My Hometown.” One of his enduring strengths is this faith in his work—an unwavering belief that what he has written remains meaningful. The fatigue that might come after decades on tour does not seem to dull his conviction; if anything, it adds a note of reverence to the performance, revealing the magnitude of his career in a way that inspires envy in many musicians.
That same confidence carries him through a sequence that blends arena drama with intimate storytelling. It’s possible to hear the emotional pull when he anchors “The River,” pairs in a suave 80s-soul edge with “Night Shift” and its congas, and then launches into a sprawling monologue about beginnings, the losses along the way, and the friends who have passed on. The moment flows into a stirring “Last Man Standing,” a keystone among a string that moves from heartfelt to celebratory. The night doesn’t stop there: the OK‑to‑dance anthems continue with “Because the Night” in homage to Patti Smith, followed by “Wrecking Ball,” and the ever‑resonant “Badlands.” The Metropolitano crowd, though outwardly older, bounces with vigor, and the performer, now a grandfather, navigates with a relaxed ease that suggests a seasoned, joyful command of the stage.
Next, a near‑perfect “Thunder Road” demonstrates how age has clarified the voice while preserving its emotional pull—proving that decades of performing have not dulled its power. The night continues into a club‑style encore that feels like a fresh start, with a relentless stream of classics pressed into a nonstop party. The stage lights, perhaps a touch overblown for the moment, still fail to obscure the sense that older fans dance with their children and grandchildren, sharing a single, timeless moment on a legendary night.
As the final stretch arrives, Springsteen performs solo once more, stepping into dimmer light to deliver “I’ll See You in My Dreams.” The spell remains intact. With two more dates in the capital and a stop in Barcelona planned, what stands out is the enduring power of the artist from Freehold. When it comes to experience on stage, he remains as reliable as a distant deity to those who believe in him.