How the fans got their tickets
Kathleen Boyd, Somerville
Graphic designer and art-department manager at National Amusements / Showcase Cinemas
How did you get your tickets? I got them on the Internet. My sister and I were both trying, and we were on the phone with each other with our fingers poised above the computer, and we hit the button at the exact same time, at 10 a.m. She got dumped out of the system, and I got four tickets.
How much did you pay? I paid around $89 each, with all the Ticketmaster charges.
Where are you sitting? We're sitting behind home plate. They assign you seats, so you have to take whatever the computer gives you.
Who are you taking? My sister and her boyfriend and my cousin. But they all had to pass the Bruce Springsteen true-fan test, which was to name any album besides "Born in the U.S.A."
How many Springsteen shows have you seen? This is my ninth or 10th or 11th. I saw him this summer at Gillette [Stadium] and at the Meadowlands. Also in Orlando, Philly, here at the old Garden, and a few other times.
What song are you hoping to hear? "My Hometown." It's my favorite. I love "Hungry Heart," too.
Do you feel as though you'll be making history at Fenway Park? It's Fenway, and he's such a sports fan. It's going to be very, very special.
Patricia Ridge, Brighton
Teacher
How did you get your tickets? We're part owners of season tickets to the Red Sox, and the Bruce tickets were made available to season ticket holders first. We bought them online.
How much did you pay? About $100 each, with the fees.
Where are you sitting? We're on the field somewhere. Your Bruce seats don't correlate to your Sox seats. Our friend has better Sox seats than we do, but we got better Bruce seats than he did.
Who are you taking? I'm going with my sisters. I have four sisters, and three of them are coming. The fourth one is broke. Yeah, she's bummed, but probably not as much as the others would have been. One of my sisters and I went to our first Bruce show together, in 1978 when "Darkness [on the Edge of Town]" came out. It was at the Music Hall, which is now the Wang [Theatre].
How many Springsteen shows have you seen? I've seen him around seven times.
What song are you hoping to hear? I really love "Darkness on the Edge of Town." I love "The River." I hope he pulls out some of the old stuff.
Do you feel as though you'll be making history at Fenway Park? I do. Everyone wants to go. I feel really lucky to be going.
Frank and Alice Callaghan, Westwood
Contractor and homemaker, respectively
How did you get your tickets? We got them just this morning [Tuesday] on eBay. It took three days.
How much did you pay? Prices started at about $150-$200 each. We kept bidding on the lower ones, and [Monday] night we put in a bid of $275 before going to bed. It was supposed to close at 8:30 [Tuesday], and at 8:25 it was at $282.50. So we put in a bid of $285 less than a minute before it closed, and we got them. We were so thrilled we put on the "Greatest Hits" album right away and started dancing.
Where are you sitting? We're sitting in tier 11 in the grandstands. If the hurricane comes we'll be covered in the grandstands.
Who are you taking? Each other.
How many Springsteen shows have you seen? This is our first Springsteen show. But we've been trying for years.
What song are you hoping to hear? "Thunder Road."
Do you feel as though you'll be making history at Fenway Park? That's a big part of it, being at Fenway for the first show. We're really excited.
Ellen Rothman, Newton
Technology sales
How did you get your ticket? Through a friend who got the tickets online. Most of my Bruce friends get tickets online. We don't scalp or buy scalpers' tickets.
How much did you pay? Face value of $75 and a $10 service fee.
Where are you sitting? In the outfield.
How many Springsteen shows have you seen? One hundred thirty. I scream and yell and dance and have a blast, but other than that, I'm kind of a normal person. I own a house and do normal things.
Who are you taking? A friend.
What song are you hoping to hear? "Back in Your Arms." It's from the box set, "Tracks." He played it once at a show, and I cried. I couldn't help it.
What do you think of Bruce playing at Fenway? I'd much rather see him in a smaller arena. At a stadium or ballpark, you have people who are so far away that most of them end up watching it on a video screen. It's like watching a DVD. And there are so many close-ups of Bruce that you miss the interaction with the band.
Adam Polgreen, Boston
Sports information director, Northeastern University
How did you get your ticket? I'm a Red Sox season ticket holder, and we had access one day early to buy tickets on the Web.
How much did you pay? Face value.
Where are you sitting? Section 23, behind the plate. They're great tickets for a ballgame, but they'll be far away from the stage. They're great to see Pedro, but I don't know about seeing the Boss.
How many Springsteen shows have you seen? Zero. I've tried before - I really wanted to see him when he played Boston Garden once - but it's been hard to get tickets.
Who are you taking? A friend.
What song do you hope he plays? "Thunder Road." And also "My Hometown."
What do you think of Bruce playing at Fenway? I'm a huge fan of Springsteen and Fenway in general. It will be an all-American day over there. I can't wait. . . . I'll be going to a [Northeastern] football game during the day, then head right over to the ballpark. It should be a great time.
Joan Anderman, Steve Morse, and Renee Graham of the Globe staff contributed to this story.
