Things to do in Calgary this week: June 28–July 4

This is a wet week dressed as a live music week. Rain dominates Sunday through Friday with only drizzle by week's end, and Saturday finally breaks clear at 23 degrees—plan your outdoor moves for then. The live music calendar is solid but compressed, and the best strategy is to layer indoor shows with the city's eating and neighbourhood life, then bank your outdoor time for the weekend.

Start Sunday if you're committed to the opening stretch. Metric and Broken Social Scene play the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium at 7 p.m.—a rare pairing of two acts with real Calgary credibility, and worth the drive south on a rainy night. If your taste runs country, Blackhawk takes the Palace Theatre stage Tuesday at 7 p.m.; they're a contemporary country group with solid touring weight. Wednesday or Thursday, Pete Zedlacher runs three shows at The Laugh Shop (July 2 to 4, three performances)—Zedlacher is a Canadian stand-up with real credentials, having won the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Stand-Up in 2006, so this is sketch comedy with teeth, not bar-room filler.

The week's biggest draw lands Friday: Jimmy Eat World at Spruce Meadows at 7 p.m., about 18 kilometres northwest of downtown. They're an American rock band formed in Mesa in 1993 with a catalogue deep enough to justify the drive. Friday stays drizzly and cool, so you're paying to be indoors anyway—make it count.

Tuesday also offers Lee Harris at Bella Concert Hall at 7 p.m. if you want a singer-songwriter in a smaller room. Thursday evening, the Toronto Argonauts visit McMahon Stadium for a CFL matchup against the Stampeders at 7 p.m.—solid late-season football on a drizzly night.

Beyond the stages, the week's real story is the restaurant shuffle. Calan Beef Noodle is shuttering its downtown 10th Street location as of June 28 after six years, so if hand-pulled noodles are your thing, the original Centre Street outpost is your only Calgary option now. On the opening side, Naan Tale just launched in Ramsay—Chef Jaspreet Singh Pannu's new spot focuses on classical Indian technique with everything prepared to order, which means patience but precision. Native Tongues Taqueria is expanding into Bridgeland this summer, a fourth location for the Mexico City-inspired crew, so if you've been meaning to try them, the neighbourhood option is coming soon.

For dining this week, pair wet nights with Pigeonhole Downtown, a wine bar in the Beltline that makes sense when you're already sheltering indoors. After Thursday's Stampeders game, Fortuna's Row in nearby Inglewood offers Latin American cooking that rewards a post-match wind-down. Save Orchard Restaurant for Saturday when the weather clears—Mediterranean cooking with a patio makes sense only when the rain actually stops.

If you have one night to spend, make it Friday: Jimmy Eat World at Spruce Meadows, because they're touring big rooms, the catalogue is genuine, and you need an indoor anchor for a drizzly evening anyway.