Good food is a fine thing, and it tastes even better if you don’t have to pay for it yourself. Therefore I give away two dinners in Zurich. For meat lovers I have a meal at Tank on offer. And for Sushi lovers there is food at Negishi waiting for you. Send me an e-mail to win one of the dinners – and let me know which one you choose.
Give my love to the city, Ron

Hip-hop is well known for its free styling, but London emcee Infinite Livez takes the whole improv thing a step further. His solo show combines stream of consciousness raps, rhymes, prancing and dancing, as well as improvising his own live beats and electronic noise with some weird and wonderful electro tools. This is a one-man band for the 21st Century, and without a knee cymbal in sight. Catch him at Bazillus this evening.
Thursday 9.30 pm, Bazillus

So we all know where those naughty accountants and economists have got us over the last couple of years. How about we give someone else a chance? The Pfingstweide Economic Forum (P-WEF), just like those leaders in the mountains, will produce plenty of hot air (via the dance floor), will communicate (via bass heavy beats) and ultimately produce no solutions, but in a world of bad numbers I say let the dancers rule.
Friday 11 pm, Pfingstweide

Kruder and Dorfmeister need very little introduction. They’re playing live at Volkshaus this Saturday and should be fantastic. There’s also a couple of after parties that may have escaped your attention. At Restaurant Volkshaus djs Kalabrese, Alex Dallas and A.C. Kupper continue from their opening set at the main concert, and Zukunft  has djs John Daly, Das Blenden, Marc D’Arrigo and The Lost Man rounding off a great evening.
Saturday 8.30 pm, Volkshaus
Saturday 11 pm, Volkshaus Restaurant
Saturday 12 am, Zukunft

Café Henrici is a coffee house in the old style. As well as the great coffee and good food they also serve up live bands (usually acoustic) and literature events. This Tuesday they have a local Jazz quartet, Weitwinkel, performing. So if life feels a little hectic of late, I’d suggest getting own to Henrici’s, curling up with a hot coffee, some soothing sounds and watch the world drift by.
Tuesday 8 pm, Café Henrici

Moods are inviting a number of world-renowned Swiss musicians to be artists-in-residence and curate their own shows. Christian Weber, known as a composer and experimental double bass player, has his first show this Wednesday where he has invited a number international friends and musicians to perform under the name The Eagle has Landed. Following this will be Swiss/Moroccan rapper MO3TA, who lets his heritage guide him and raps over Arabic musical styles.
Wednesday 8.30 pm, Moods

Do you remember the first vinyl you bought? I’m sure you do. My first record was… well I get into that another time. Since then, vinyl had to make space for CDs but there are still a surprising amount of record shops in town. Unfortunately, Sonic Records, the smallest record shop in Zurich, closes its doors after 13 years in business. Therefore you get a 30 % discount on the whole range until Saturday. From Monday onwards you’ll have to visit one of the other shops. Here’s a selection: Bikini at Zeughausstrasse sells clothes on the ground floor, but downstairs you get records from the 50s and 70s as well as some rarities. Hum records at Ankerstrasse is a temple for black music. Panthera, hidden behind American Apparel, is where you find electro, house and techno treasures. And Recrec is the shop for everything you didn’t find anywhere else.

Winter days are soup days. At least for me and my lunch. I found a wonderful place for my preference – Limmatlädeli. It’s a small shop between Viadukt and Escher-Wyss-Platz that servers four to five soups every day. You find creative mixes like the spicy sweet potato soup or the potato-celery soup with truffle oil and morel which I had yesterday. The prices are moderate (between 9-13 francs depending on soup) and you get bread and an apple with it. I’m sure these meals help me fight the flu viruses. So, to your health!
Limmatlädeli, Limmatstrasse 259

Guy Pratt is the former bass player from Pink Floyd. And he’s funny. Which is why he’s the main act at this week’s Funny Laundry by Guy Stevens. Guy (Pink Floyd Guy not Funny Laundry Guy) also wrote a book called My Bass and Other Animals. You can get a signed copy after the show at Mascotte this Friday. Or you visit Orell Füssli English Bookshop on Saturday, where he signs between noon and 1 pm. 

Friday 8 pm, Mascotte & Saturday 12 pm, English Bookshop

The spinach gets out of the freezer and moves through the shop. On the street you see a garbage bag getting up and walking away. That’s Urban Camouflage. The artists blend into their urban surrounding, often to protest against something. There are various films on youtube, this one is a good one to start out – the Japanese vending machine.