Five things to do this weekend

Chali 2Na, Powerstation, Friday

We all know Chi-town homies are the craziest, and tomorrow night, one of Chicago's finest is gracing the stage at the Powerstation. Perhaps best know for his work in Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, Chali 2na is here for another solo show (he was last here on new years eve), and will be dropping some tracks from his upcoming series of new EPs.

Him, Basement Theatre, until Saturday

You might feel like you're drowning in a sea of politics and newsprint this week as our general election on Saturday draws near. A great way to alleviate that sense would be to head along to Him at the Basement Theatre. The work of the ever-versatile award-winning Barnie Duncan, this one-man show explores the world of a reclusive hoarder, who only knows the outside world through the daily paper. The play - which revolves around the re-enactments of articles, performances of the weather, and the meaning of the crossword - was a hit when performed in Australia and Auckland last year, and this week seems like the perfect time for a new interpretation.

Mahoney Harris, Wine Cellar, Thursday

Waiheke-based singer-songwriter Mahoney Harris has been beavering away on a lovely set of gentle folk-pop tunes with a distinct Kiwi flavour for her debut LP We Didn't Feel Alone, and is celebrating the release with a special show at the Wine Cellar this evening, where she'll be accompanied by local luminaries like Andrew Keoghan, Ben King, Matthias Jordan, Wayne Bell and Tom Healy.

Or if you prefer your folk-pop a little more rocky, a little more electric, a little more Australian, head along to the Powerstation to hear Sydney five piece Boy and Bear on their Harlequin Dream tour.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in cinemas now

A scene from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

Saturday mornings, snuggled up on the couch before mum and dad were up, enjoying our weekly treat of indulgent cartoons on TV ... My brother and I were always firm fans of the 80s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TV series, and quickly absorbed "Cowabunga dude!" into our vocabulary, so I'm both hopeful and sceptical about this big screen remake, with the turtles created in CGI and blended into this real-world Michael Bay blockbuster. And I'm having trouble imagining Megan Fox as April O'Neil, but I'm willing to give it a try.

Neil Finn and Bic Runga, Powerstation, Saturday

Musician Neil Finn.

Neil Finn really did scale some new peaks, and do a fair bit of adventurous jumping off on his most recent solo album Dizzy Heights, which was produced by the eclectic Dave Fridmann, and came out in February. He's been busy touring all over the world since, but he finally returns for a home town show this weekend with an excellent band which includes Jesse Sheehan, Lisa Tomlins, Alistair Deverick, and Finn's wife Sharon. The album remains one of my favourites so far this year, and it will be a treat to see the songs live - plus it will be far less excruciating than watching the election coverage for five hours.

- TimeOut