The M4Music festival is back again. The annual shindig for all of music's great and good to gather in our city and blow our little minds. As well as panel discussions, conferences and a demo-clinic for aspiring musicians there are, of course, a fantastic selection of bands, singers and djs to see play live. My highlights this year include Foals, Evelinn Trouble and Delphic. I have 2 x 2 day passes to give away. E-mail me.
Thursday to Saturday at various times, Schiffbau, Blok and Exil

GDS.FM is the Zurich radio equivalent of this wonderful newsletter you’re reading. They broadcast only on Friday evening and detail what’s happening in Zurich, and also play some cool music. On Friday they’re having an anniversary party in their radio studio – food and drinks supplied and free entry, but get there early as it has limited space. If being in a real radio studio gets you excited, you can head down to Pfingstweide afterwards where they’re opening up the dj booth and decks to anyone who has the urge to live out their dj fantasies.

Friday 6 pm to 10 pm, GDS Radiostudio, Turnerstasse 1, 8006

Friday 11 pm, Pfingstweide

Just as Photo13 showcased the best new Swiss photography, so the exhibition at Maag Halle called Grafik13 does the same for Swiss graphic designers and artists. The Swiss have a fine history when it comes to graphic design and art and the new batch of artists that Grafik13 is exhibiting all manage to harness that Swiss quality and imagination, and paint, probably with spray cans, a signpost to the future.  
Friday to Sunday, from 11 am, Maag Halle

What happens to cities built from manufacturing in a post-industrial world? If they’re lucky, and the city fathers have enough imagination, they can adapt and be reborn but if they’re not lucky they will end up like Detroit, USA. Over the past 40 years Detroit has become a hollow shell of the city it once was and in their exhibition at the Houk Gallery  called The Ruins of Detroit, Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre, two French photographers, have set out to document not only the dystopian ruins of the city and a sense of lives being abandoned but also the strange beauty that comes from decay.
Until 27^th April, Houk Gallery, Stockerstrasse 33, 8002

Elegant divas, dubious mafia bosses, graceful ladies and gallant gentlemen meet this Saturday at Cabaret Voltaire, drinking Absinthe, playing poker, enjoying burlesque and dancing away. The golden twenties have taken over Zurich’s nightlife but this night has a special air about it. And you’ll get literally millions when you decide to join the party, properly dressed of course. Though your fortune (Reich mark) won’t be worth much outside this circle, it certainly promises a good start into glamorous evening. Tickets 48/52 francs
Saturday 9.30 pm, Cabaret Voltaire

Last November, Karussell at Zweierstrasse 38 opened its doors – marking a counterpoint to your usual gallery. They provide a platform for various art forms: they have the space; you bring the project or the exhibition. This Tuesday, the invited Angela Correra to play. Her airy slightly melancholic sounds make your mind wander, and wonder. Maybe you haven’t heard yet of the band around her – Correatown - but most likely you know some songs of the Los Angeles formation from series such as “How I Met Your Mother” and “Grey’s Anatomy”. But rather than watching them and trying to figure out, which tunes are by Correatown, head down to Karussell for an unplugged session. Tickets 10/15 francs
Tuesday 7.30 pm, Karussell

Four months, 5 labels, one shop: Temporär. This pop-up shop unites fashion and interior design by young designers from Zurich and Berlin: Julian Zigerli (fashion), Schönstaub (rugs), Sebastian Scherer (furniture), Stefanie Biggel (fashion), Rshader (fashion). They celebrate they’re opening this Wednesday at 6 pm, and you can visit the shop until August at Militärstrasse 76.
Wednesday 6 pm, Temporär

On Tuesday, we had a lunch meeting at the office. And as we all like to try new things, we decided to order some salads at Martha’s Salads – a salad courier service that opened this week. I had the fish salad and my mouth is still watering thinking of it. All liked their combinations, which are unusual but well balanced with seasonal, mostly regional products, special salad sauces and fresh bread. The prices for salads (they also have wraps, sandwiches and soups) go from 15 to 18 francs, which I think is ok for a lunch. Delivery costs 8 francs so it’s good if you’re a few who order together. The two girls just started out, so its bills only and just central areas that they deliver to at present. But they have a plan, which I’m always a supporter of. I have a lunch for 5 people to give away (value 100 francs), Martha’s Salads will put together a selection of their offer for you - if you like to get a healthy lunch, send me an email.

Spring is in the air. To give it the final push, I got myself some free flower seed packs at the city council – mallow power and wild flowers – which I spread in front of my house and in some random areas around town. I cannot wait until it all blossoms. You can pick up your own seeds at the reception of Grün Stadt Zürich, Beatenplatz 2, at the Sukkulenten-Sammlung, Mythenquai 88, and at the cemetery-offices during opening times. The staff will provide you with tips for where to spread your seeds. A new era of guerrilla gardening is starting now.

If the coming of springtime is making you want to dance and do it in a more stylish way than just jumping and waving your arms in the air as I do, then the World Dance Movement event is perfect. Although it’s taking place in Lucerne, I figured a little city jumping might also be good for you. The WDM event lasts for 7 days, starting on the 30^th March, and brings together dancers and cultures from around the world to share in each other’s delights. You can also take lessons and perform in the gala dinner event on the final evening. You will need to register if you want to take part in lessons.
30th March to 7 April, MusicalFactory, Eisfeldstrasse 2a, 6005 Luzern