Each Thursday night, GDS.FM, Zurich’s coolest radio station, and the Kauz club come together to bring you a two-for-one offer. You’ll get a live musical artist plus a complimentary side helping of dj to give your evening the perfect balance of music. This Thursday you can hear electro-pop duo True play live, while dj Diego Suarez will be playing his special blend of soulful house music. Future Thursday combos include Audio Dope (Live) & dj Ms Hyde, Delakeyz (Live) & dj Funk Bastard and Markus Kenel (Live) & dj Samsara.
Thursday 9 pm, Kauz

 

 

In a world where the online and the real are rubbing up against each other like drunk teenagers at a party, I may have just found the sweet spot. At La Catrina on Friday you can experience El Tubo, the ultimate YouTube disco. You choose your favourite songs or music videos from YouTube, add them to the playlist and get them played to an unsuspecting crowd. Of course, cool and hip is acceptable but I think they’re aiming more for trashy and danceable.
Friday 10 pm, La Catrina

 

 

In a Capitalist society, playgrounds have always been an odd, yet hopeful, proposition: a creative laboratory in the middle of the valuable real estate of an urban landscape, specifically set aside for children to play and frolic on structures designed from the freakiest corners of an architect’s imagination. Since the 80’s, playground design has been on the decline but The Playground Project at Kunsthalle Zurich hopes to remind you of, and perhaps revive, these important spaces that have been a part of all our lives. They’re transforming their 1000m2 gallery into a giant playground using the most imaginative and spectacular designs of the past and present, for kids, both big and small, (yes, that means you, dear Ronster) to play on. They’ll also be showing films, photos and objects from over 100 years of playground design.
Friday (Opening Night) 6 pm to 9 pm, Exhibition - Saturday to 15th May, various times, Kunsthalle Zurich

 

 

 

 

 

What’s the best way to run a country? A pure democracy? A Republic? Me as Supreme Leader? (Consider this last one seriously). Even Switzerland’s Direct Democracy has been shown to have its limitations, as we’ve seen with recent voting results. Christophe Meierhans is a Swiss-born, Brussels-based performer who believes he has a better way. He has developed a completely new constitution for a completely new political system, which forms the basis for his new performance, Some Use For Your Broken Clay Pots at Gessnerallee. The play provokes questions of how society works and how we want to live. The performance is in English, and as a reminder - I am available for the position of Benevolent Dictator if none-of-the-above appeals to you.
Tuesday 8 pm, Gessnerallee

 

 

There’s a cool little pop-up restaurant called Lola Sally opening on Tuesday for a week only. It’ll be in a Japanese style with food and drinks to match, and all cooked by one of Zurich’s best chefs. The location is officially being kept a secret but, as you're a Ronster, i think we've been through enough together for me to trust you. Along the Sihl, and opposite the Fork & Bottle restaurant, are a row of converted wooden stables. Lola Sally will be waiting for you behind the leftmost door. If you would like to go, just send a private message via the Lola Sally Facebook page and reserve your spot.
Tuesday to Sunday, 6 pm till late, Gfellstrasse 20, 8002

 

 

Way up North, in the tropical South as well as in the fast East: Traditional barber shops are experiencing an international comeback. Today’s men of the world appreciate their facial hair cut by a professional. If you’re one of them, the staff of  The Barber Paradox are from the old school, surrounded by original gadgets and large mirrors. And it’s a manly place: they'll bring you beer instead of the usual coffee, if you want. Which I'm sure you do.
The Barber Paradox, Rennweg 32/34, 8001. Opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 10 am to 7 pm, Thursday 11 am to 8 pm, Saturday 9 am to 5 pm

 

 

 

 

 

You’re a contract killer that trades in scalps and briefcases full of cash. Your mission: eliminate a target in an «unconventional way». Packing pixelart and a brooding soundtrack, Badass plunges you into a city wracked with desperation. Click to kick some butts…

 

 

Sometimes it’s nice to get an outsider's perspective. So what can we learn from TripAdvisor, or rather tourists, about Zurich? Favourite places: It comes as no surprise that tourists like the lake (wow, you can swim there), the old town (so pretty) and Üetliberg (great view) the most. The usual suspects follow: Lindenhof, Grossmünster and the zoo. Places of no interest: Tourists found Kreis 4 dirty, Europaallee anonymous and the FIFA headquarters locked up. I assume that Langstrasse has to grow on you – or that you need to know Ron to get what it’s all about. Most surprising: Schwamedingerplatz received a lot of praise. If you’ve never been, it might be worth a trip. I don’t want to spoil the surprise so I'll include an image from back in the day. Let me know what you experienced there.