Today, you receive issue 200 of Ron Orp’s Mail Zurich English! I’m very excited about this and also very happy that you’re reading my newsletter every week. It’s not really a birthday, so I’m not expecting any gifts. But I have a few presents for you. To celebrate that round number, I have tickets to give away to almost every entry in this week’s newsletter. So make up your mind and send me an e-mail to enter the draw. As I’m giving away tickets for several events, please make sure to tell me, which one you’d like to go to.
Give my love to the city, Ron

During the 80's, when the glitter and glam of that decade's pop music seemed to dazzle everything else into submission, the UK gave rise to bands who rejected the primary coloured mainstream, and in doing so invented indie rock. Along with now iconic bands such as The Smiths, The Fall and The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Wedding Present were there at the beginning and are playing at Helsinki tonight. They'll be playing through one of their best albums, Seamonsters, and if you'd like to see some genuine UK indie legends in action i have 1 x 2 tickets for you. E-mail me. 
Thursday 8 pm, Helsinki Klub 

If these waning days of summer make you want to bypass the mundane and plug your mind directly into the neon rainbow heart of 21^st Century culture, you should get yourself down to the Taktung Festival at Annex Manesse, a 3-day audiovisual festival of Swiss music-, video- and installation artists. With some great electro djs, performance artists, video and light installations animating the whole building and a bar and grill to sustain you, you may never want to get back to reality once you’ve entered the matrix.
Thursday 6pm until Saturday, Annex Manesse

As anyone who has celebrated their 200^th anniversary will tell you, laughter is the best medicine. Terrible doctors also say that, but never mind, back to the laughter. The International Comedy Club has two new comics appearing this week, both from the wilds of London. After debuting at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival in only 2010, Imran Yousef recently won a best newcomer award. Whilst, Jason Patterson, has been all over the tv, as well as winning a rising-star award. I’m 200, damn it! Make me laugh. Now!! 
If you’d like to join the laugh-fest I have 2 x 2 tickets to give away. E-mail me.
Friday 8 pm, Mascotte

Despite all the advances in musical technology, sometimes all it really takes to make a song sound beautiful are 3 chords and a broken heart. SOKO is a French singer/songwriter whose songs seem to shimmer like sunlight on the water, as her delicate voice sings of lost loves, found loves and true loves. She plays live at Bogen F on Friday. The music may be a little too pretty and fey for some people but those people aren’t very nice anyway, so let’s ignore them. I have 1 x 2 tickets, if you’d like to go. E-mail me.
Friday 9 pm, Bogen F

Drive was one of my favourite films of 2011, and one reason for this was it’s moody synth soundtrack. Kavinsky was a collaborator on the soundtrack and is also headlining at Plaza this Friday night. Being French, he’s often compared to Daft Punk but I think he has a much darker edge to his sound while still managing to keep the beats danceable. There is a clutch of other djs supporting him, along with a live performance by the cool rocking Baba Shrimps. To help with the Ron festivities I have 2 x 2 tickets for you. E-mail me.
Friday 11 pm, Plaza

Sisu – the bar and café at Meinrad-Lienert-Strasse closed down. But it opens its doors one more time this weekend to sell the furniture. Everything must go. So if you’re in need of chairs, tables, dishes or cushions – or if you like to keep a piece as a memorabilia – head down to Sisu this Friday and Saturday. And also enjoy one last drink at the bar.
Friday 4 to 9 pm and Saturday 10 am to 4 pm, Sisu

The rain has started and though I’m optimistic that we’ll see some more of that beautiful autumn sun, I have to warn you that it rains a lot in Zurich during the pre-winter season. The weather forecast for the weekend is one big grey cloud - so why not warm your heart and soul with chocolate? On Friday and Saturday you can join the Ronit (not related) Lev’s chocolate workshop at Zurich Wiedikon. This so called Choco-Therapy combines chocolate, laughter yoga and movements and certainly gets rid of any winter blues. Even if sport isn’t high on your list, the 'menu' should be motivation enough: hand-made nougat, orange chocolate mousse or dark chocolate with lavender. For more information or to register write to Hanna: [email protected]
Fri 6 to 9 pm, Sat & Sun 1 to 4 pm, Sat & Sun 5 to 9 pm (for couples), Zurich-Wiedikon

Since the heady early 90’s trip-hop days of Portishead and Massive Attack, the UK has always had a steady stream of experimental electronic bands coming from it’s shores and Belleruche, playing at Moods on Saturday, doesn’t let the team down.  Their latest music is darker and more spacey than their previous efforts and singer Kathrin deBoer’s fragile voice will tickle the inside of your head, even as the bass lines rattle your bones. If you’d like to have 1 x 2 tickets, e-mail me.
Saturday 8:30 pm, Moods

Successful lawyer Royal Tenenbaum has everything: money, beautiful wife and highly intelligent children. But then he leaves his marriage. Two decades later, he wants to reunite the family, but that’s not as easy as he thought. The film (with Gene Hackman Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Bill Murray, Alec Baldwin…) is one of the highlights of director Wes Anderson’s career, who has become a shooting star of American independent films. The amusing but tragic family comedy is screened this Tuesday at Filmstelle. I have 2x2 tickets to give away, just email me. Watch trailer
Tuesday 8 pm, StuZ²

The exhibition Postmodernism at Landesmuseum revives the 1970s and 1980s, two colourful decades where subversive punk rubbed shoulders with the hedonism of the yuppies. Pop art meets New Wave, the glossy future becomes raw and dark. I visited the exhibition last Sunday and was transported back into my youth. Became nostalgic in the MTV music-clip room, admired the bold fashion, remembered the political changes of that time and had fun during the Fischli-Weiss film. If you haven’t seen it so far, it’s extended its stay in Zurich until the end of October. And I have 2 x 2 tickets to give away. Just send me an email
Postmodernism. Style and Subversion 1970-1990,
Tue to Sun: 10 am to 5 pm, Thu: 10 am to 7 pm,
until 28th October, Landesmuseum

From today, Frau Gerold doesn’t serve only what she harvested herself. She doesn’t like hunting, so she leaves that up to the Swiss hunters. But of course she prepares the game dishes lovingly for you until the end of the month. If game isn’t your game, she is also happy to indulge you with other autumn goods, such as oysters, raclette, soups or gluhwein.
Until 27th October from 6.30 pm, Frau Gerolds Garten