You may have guessed that with a band name like The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart the music they make is going to appeal to the winsome helpless romantics amongst us, and you’d be entirely correct. This is indie-pop of the jangly guitar and soaring chorus variety but never loses sight of the fact that being pure of heart can be painful at times. As i’m sure you know only too well, sweet Ronster. They play at Rote Fabrik tonight.

Thursday 8.30 pm, Rote Fabrik

Stall 6 have let Zurich electro duo Saalschutz curate their own mini music festival over the weekend and the result is the Grand Prix der Emotionen. Across Friday and Saturday nights you’ll get to hear Saalschutz themselves as well as Erobique, Egotronic, Jacques Palminger, Jeans for Jesus and Nemoy, all of whom fit into the synth-pop/electro-punk spectrum, with some even adding a little Afrobeat for spice. Also on the line-up will be a selection of great djs from Hamburg and Zurich clubland.

Friday and Saturday 9 pm, Stall 6

As the warming weather brings us all slowly outdoors, emerging like dusty bears from our winter slumber, the idea of roaming around market stalls on the weekends looking for shiny nick-nacks and vintage doo-dads doesn’t seem so bad at all. This Saturday sees a big one and a new one in town. At Maag Halle the Montags Markt team will bring together lots of stalls and sellers for the Garage Sale. It seems like if you need something, they’ll have someone selling it.  And with just a hop across the railway tracks, you can go to the newest member of the Zurich market family at Röntgenplatz. This is the first of a few they’ll be having this year and should be a real neighbourhood affair.

Saturday 11am to 7 pm, Garage Sale, Maag Halle and 10am to 5 pm, Röntgenplatz

It's that time of the year again, where a part of Zurich's male population plays Robin Hood - or at least «Men in Tights». And where most of us get half a day off! The tradition dates back to the middle ages. The festivities start with the children's parade on Sunday but the highlight is on Monday when the guilds march through the centre. When the church bells start to ring at 6 pm (which is why it's called  Sächsilüüte) it's time to burn the Böögg, a snowman effigy stuffed with wadding and firecrackers. The sooner its head explodes, the better the summer weather forecast. The area by Bellevue will be very crowded but there are loads of stalls to get a bite to eat or a drink. Afterwards, head to Mascotte for the classic Sächsilüüte-party. If you’re not a guild-member, entry is 10 francs. 

Monday from 3 pm, city centre / from 7 pm, Mascotte

On the good-to-bad spectrum of listening to your favourite music live, at the top is obviously going to see the actual band playing live, whilst in the lower depths, certainly rock bottom in a few of my experiences, would be an evening of karaoke. Now, I suspect somewhere in the middle of all this would be the 8 ^th Bands Coversong Contest at Mascotte on Tuesday. You’ll get to hear some great songs although not by the people you expect, but when those performing go by the names of Amish Winehouse or One Erection, I’m sure all will be forgiven.

Tuesday 9.30 pm, Mascotte

The sunny spring weather invites to do some gardening, or at least to place a pot or two on the balcony. The seedling markets of the Stadtgärtnerei has everything to support your green thumb. This weekend (Friday 2 pm to 7 pm and Saturday 9 am to 1 pm) they sell vegetables such as broccoli and salads, which you can already plant outside. Two weeks later (24^th and 25 ^th of April) they sell tomatoes of all kinds. As their rare species became very popular over the last two, three years I recommend heading there as early as possible if you have a specific kind in mind. Finally in May (8^th and 9^th) the Mediterranean veggies are ready for a new home. Choose some rebellious artichokes instead of mild courgettes and embrace that daring summer feeling. Who thought that gardening could be so adventurous?

The windows at Europaallee are still damaged from the riot several weeks back, but that doesn’t stop Jo Brauer. The three women behind the fashion label transferred their online boutique to the real world and opened their shop at the beginning of the month, where you find an eclectic mix of vintage clothes and international young brands.

Wesley’s Kitchen has only been open a little while but has already become a favourite of mine. Wesley’s sells Shanghai street food, and Wesley, who works in the kitchen, also likes to come around the tables to describe the dishes on offer, often followed by a big hearty laugh. I’m sure many things on the smallish menu will tempt you. Who could resist dishes with the names Sunrise Salmon, Sweet Lotus or even Red Piggy, but don’t be sidetracked by these temptations, because it’s the Dim Sum that you’ll be staying for. These little packets of pleasure are the best I’ve tasted in Zurich, and mean Wesley and his little kitchen will be seeing a lot more of me.

Wesley’s Kitchen, Josefstrasse 48, 8005