Katrin Maclean, a British Columbia-based Estonian-Canadian, was due to see Bruce and the band play the final show of his tour at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on November 22nd, 2024, along with her sister Ingrid and three other friends. But a month before the big day, their plans took a delightful turn.
…Ingrid’s friend gifted the extra ticket to Ingeborg, ensuring she’d get to experience a night to remember.
As Katrin explains it, her sister’s group had extra tickets after two of their friends dropped out. One of the tickets was bought by another good friend. And instead of letting the other ticket go unused, the siblings hatched a heartwarming plan. They were going to bring their mother, Ingeborg Kozevnikov (née Niggol), a lifelong Bruce Springsteen fan, to the concert. To their surprise, Ingrid’s friend gifted the extra ticket to Ingeborg, ensuring she’d get to experience a night to remember. And what a night it was.
At 101 years old, Ingeborg is as sharp as ever, her love of music going strong as well. All together, mother, daughters, and friends took a limo to the show.
And sitting in row three on the floor, with a good view of the stage, Katrin was inspired to make the night even more special, crafting a sign to let Bruce know that his oldest fan was in the crowd. To make sure he saw it, another spectator sitting next to her suggested they pass the sign forward through the rows of enthusiastic fans, until it finally made its way to the VIP section near the stage. That’s where Bruce noticed it and things became even more special. Those that knew what the sign said watched as he read it. They were all excited to know that he now knew that this extraordinary fan was in the audience.
“Everyone around me was so excited that he saw it,” Katrin recalls. “The concert was fantastic, and I got some amazing photos, especially when Bruce walked the walkway built just two rows in front of me.”
But the most unforgettable moment of the night came during the encore. After playing his final song with the E Street Band, Springsteen returned alone with his acoustic guitar. Strumming the opening chords of “I'll See You In My Dreams,” he paused to dedicate the song to “my oldest fan who is out there tonight. She’s 101.”
The arena roared with applause and cheers, as thousands celebrated the remarkable milestone. Katrin and everyone around her were jumping up and down. For Ingeborg, the moment was unforgettable. “She said it was one of the best times she’s ever had,” Katrin shared. “That, to me, was the most perfect gift.”
Bruce Springsteen’s songs are full of stories, of people he’s met and known and places he’s been. There’s an authenticity and enduring youthfulness to his music that appeals to listeners across the generations, as could be seen that night. And for Ingeborg, it was the ultimate rock-and-roll dream come true.
