Next Friday (29th April), I will be celebrating my birthday!! It would seem a little rude not to have a party, so that’s what I’m going to do. It would also seem rude not to invite you, so that’s also what I’m going to do. I’ll be taking over both floors of the Kon-Tiki Bar from 6 pm. Playing live on stage and behind the turntables will be: Trackattack, The Broots, Tongue Tied Twin, Cheibe Balagan, The Jackets, Goldfinger Brothers und Herr Wempe. All info can be found here. Happy birthday to me. Happy party to you.
Give my love to the city, Ron

 

 

If you’ve ever tried keeping a diary, you know what a difficult discipline it is to maintain. Perhaps you should take a leaf out of Zurich artist and illustrator Mich Hodler’s book. Not literally, obviously - get your own book! A year ago he set himself the task of creating a multi-media drawing every day that would illustrate his life, from the mundane to the significant. One might be quickly sketched on a shopping receipt while sitting in a traffic jam; others contemplate the deeper concerns of his life. The results of his year-long experiment are now all on display at The Trace Gallery in an exhibition called 1 x Täglich vor Essen’ (Once Daily before Eating).  The opening reception is tonight (Thursday) from 6 pm.
Thursday to 19th May, The Trace Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

Who needs American superheroes when you’ve got the likes of Miss Behaving, Sin Sister and Audrey Headburn living just around the corner, and are as real as a slap in the face? They’re some of the members of the Zürich City Rollergirlz, the roller derby team that represents our city in competitions around the world. Roller derby is a full-contact sport, dominated by all-female teams, that sees teams roller-skating around a track attempting to physically block and attack the opposing team. Their first home game of the season is against the not-as-cool-sounding ‘Roller Derby Metz Club’ from France, at Sportanlage Fronwald. This is followed by a celebratory (I expect) after-party with the team at the Mata Hari Bar, with dj Le Président. Free entry to the party.
Saturday 3 pm, Sportanlage Fronwald, Fronwaldstrasse 115, 8046
Saturday 10 pm, Mata Hari Bar, Langstrasse 237, 8004

 

 

You know the story of Aladdin, right? That age-old tale of an out-of-work indie-rock singer living in a video game world ruled by a perverted Sultan, whose only salvation is a magical Genie and his 3D printer lamp? Wait...What? It seems as if Adam Green, ex-singer of The Moldy Peaches, has made an independent movie with a modern twist on the Arabian Nights classic. The film’s having its European premiere at Riff Raff on Saturday, along with a live musical interlude and post-movie Q&A with Adam Green himself. It’s been reviewed as ‘the stoner flick of the century’, so the Saturday night/11 pm slot seems about right, and if you’re feeling in a frisky mood then I have 2 x 2 tickets to give away. E-mail me.
Saturday 11 pm, Riff Raff

 

 

I like coffee because it gives me the illusion of being awake. Of course coffee has become more than just a welcome stimulant – cups of coffee are now brewed and created as if they were works of art. Good Baristas are the new Picassos. If you feel like you can make a decent cup of coffee, and own an AeroPress, then you should get yourself down to the Swiss AeroPress Championship and Festival at Auer & Co on Saturday. The knockout competition is open to all, with or without coffee knowledge, and the winner will go forward to the World Championship in Dublin. If you’re not into making coffee then you can enjoy some coffee and natural wine tasting sessions, coffee market and a party to finish it all off. Register here if you want to enter the competition.
Saturday from 2 pm, Auer & Co, Sihlquai 131, 8005

 

 

Over the years music has fractured into a thousand different genres and sub-genres, but sometimes it’s good to get back to the root of things. Ulrich Ellison & Tribe have won ‘Best Blues/Soul/Funk Band’ at the SXSW Austin Music Awards for the last two years in a row, with Ellison also winning ‘Best Guitarist’; they were also finalists in the ‘European Blues Challenge’ 2016. So if you need a break from those electronic beats or blues is your preferred colour of music, then why not go see one of the best bands out there. They’re playing live at Gainsbourg on Wednesday night and entry is free.
Wednesday 7 pm to 11 pm, Gainsbourg

 

 

Starting this Thursday, Seebad Enge turns into a Trout Bistro on the lake for three weeks. Before the bathing season starts you get fish, fish, fish. All trout is fresh, organic and grilled - served with home-made side orders, starters and deserts. I’m sure you’ll feel like summer is just lurking around the corner. It‘s smart to book a table in advance.
Seebad Enge, Tuesday to Saturday from 6 pm

 

 

The little triangular bags are very practical when going out (no more knocking someone out with you big bag on the dance floor) or for your sport and (hopefully soon) swimming gear. But for shopping I prefer a larger cotton bag. I found the perfect size at Dinschrift, where you can choose any design you fancy. They'll print you a unique piece or any quantity you like. Not hard to guess that mine says: 'Give my love to the city'.

Dinschrift, Stauffacherstrasse 96, 8004. Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm

 

 

As nature awakens I get the urge to plant something. Here are some tips, if you feel the same. Urban gardening: If you live in Zurich, chances are small that you have your own garden, but there are a lot of things that grown on balconies or on the window sill. Veg & the city has tons of solutions to get your outdoors – no matter how small it is – green and lively. Seedlings: The city’s nursery hosts several seedling sales throughout the year. I find growing tomatoes very satisfying as they keep mosquitos at bay and you can eat them straight from the plant. On 15/16 April Stadtgärtnerei sells various kinds of tomatoes including some rare old species which come in all colours from black to yellow. Low maintenance: You don’t have a green thumb? Then maybe a cactus is the right choice for you. The Bonsai & Kakteen shop is an institution in Zurich. They just moved to Albisstrasse 39, 8038, and offer a large selection and good advice.

 

 

The photo collection at the city archives includes crime and accident scenes starting from the 1920's. Now the city made 700 (of 33,000) photos available online to browse through.