AlphabetSoup

Here are the dates I will be on tour:

7/14/09: Wheatland (Sacramento), CA
7/16/09: San Diego (Chula Vista), CA
7/18/09: Long Beach (Carson), CA
7/19/09: Los Angeles (Irvine), CA
7/21/09: Dallas, TX
7/22/09: Houston (The Woodlands), TX
7/24/09: St. Louis (Maryland Heights), MO
7/25/09: Chicago (East Troy), WI
7/30/09: Toronto, ON
8/01/09: Montreal, QC
8/02/09: Jersey City, NJ
8/03/09: Boston (Mansfield), MA
8/06/09: Raleigh, NC
8/07/09: Charlotte, NC
8/09/09: Tampa, FL

It is officially, official.

This summer, I get another opportunity to travel the grand U-S-of-A, with the british rock band called Coldplay.

This will be my third stint with the band, and as Meghan has simply stated, the last time (thanks to the impending arrival of Baby Andrikanich).

I will be doing the same job as I had in the past, assistant Merchandise Manager – basically, I do what I am told.

Basically, we manage a rolling warehouse of merchandise inventory as we roll in and out of venues across the country.

It is a lot of hard work, some of it even physical work, well, most of it actually. But it is a great experience, and I have met some great people over the years who are interesting and fun to travel with.

From the tour buses, to the nice hotels, to the back stage dressing rooms, and the inside of tractor-trailer stuffed to the gills with Coldplay merchandise, it is quite an experience.

So from July 13 through Aug 11, I will be working at Coldplay concert near you.

And during that time, I hope to have the chance to take lots of pictures, videos, and stories (at least the ones I can share).

So check back starting next week, and I hope you can get a little insight into what goes on behind the scenes of a big rock show.

If you want to get in touch, shoot me an email: chris@andrikanich.com, or an AOL IM: candrikanich; or via twitter @alphabet.

So it begins.

My third annual trip to the Phoenix area for baseball, beers, and brats.

Eric and I started this little tradition three years ago. We usually average 4 games in 4-5 days.

Since we started this, the Indians have moved from Florida to Phoenix, and have plans to add the Cincinnati Reds to their complex in 2010.

Eric is from Cincinnati.

Reds or Indians everyday. One park. 2010 will be fun.

We expect to have visited every Phoenix area stadium at the end of this trip, and that includes a trip to Tucson.

More updates to come.

Play Ball!

1) Sound check in Toronto. Show 2, not much to do, so I watched the sound check.

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Ok, so things got a little busy after day 5. I got into Montreal, had a day and a half to walk around and take in the city, and lots of really good food.

Then it was off to Toronto where we had our first late night adult beverage outing with a couple of people from the tour, and back-to-back shows in the same arena, and another truck unloading.

Coming back across the border was event-free. And we arrived in Hartford with the day off, and the knife TSA found in my backpack was waiting for me, as was a cold frosty beverage at a local pub.

Then it was three straight days of shows: Hartford, DC, and Boston.

Got some tickets for my Uncle and his family as well as tickets for my sister in-law. They all enjoyed the show, and I my Uncle took me out for drinks and dinner the next night, after a long morning of unloading another truck, but this time on to skids and the airport shipping dock.

Had a great night in Boston. Had my first-ever clam chowder, and a quick visit to the new Boyleston Street Apple Store, my cousin’s decision, not mine.

Flew out the next day, back through Philly (the 3rd time in 2 weeks), and I decided to splurge and pay the upgrade fee to sit in First Class, which was nice b/c US Air was charging for drinks and coffee on this flight.

I arrived home safe and sound. And back to the real world.