Reviving the Funk
After rapper and DJ Metro Boomin’ took the main stage of the Catalyst Club last Thursday night, hip-hop took a step away from the top 100s and backtracked a few decades. One day later, a handful of passionate hip-hop artists performed Friday from 9 p.m….
Swimming the Swamp
The usual crowd of animated Santa Cruzans, students and locals, dripped with sweat as they counted down the 30 minutes until Dr. Dog claimed the stage at The Catalyst on Jan. 31. Blue hues from LED lights decorated drummer Eric Slick’s drum kit, Zach Miller’s…
Northern Bound
Three bands, three cities and vigor to exceed the boundaries of the music industry took the Catalyst Atrium stage on Friday night — all in the name of rock ‘n’ roll. “For the funkiest part of Northern California, Santa Cruz, this song’s called ‘Drive North,’”…
It’s Bigger Than Santa Cruz
The Atrium provided the perfect intimate setting for artists and audience members alike to connect over their mutual love of hip-hop, when dead prez returned to the Catalyst last Friday. Commonly known for their song “It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop, ” and a household name…
The Delta Meets the Bay
As The California Honeydrops took to The Catalyst’s main stage, the house was already packed to the rafters. The acoustic folk trio Steep Ravine opened the show, and 20 minutes after their set ended, the San Francisco quintet along with an accompanying percussionist came to…
‘Drink More Water’
Giddy fans packed tightly around The Catalyst’s Atrium stage last Wednesday night as they anxiously awaited hip-hop artist and poet Mick Jenkins. Jenkins released his third mixtape “Trees & Truths” in 2013, which garnered widespread attention due to its bold lyrical content with lines like,…
Santa Cruz Music Festival Set to Rock Downtown
Back for a third year in a row, Santa Cruz Music Festival (SCMF) will sprawl across downtown Santa Cruz venues including The Catalyst, Woodstock’s Pizza, Motiv and other locations to round out 15 total stages and 13 hours of musical mayhem on Oct. 10. This…
Growing Pains
When Earl hops on stage like he did May 13 at the Catalyst, the audience looks to him like a prophet. A crowd, made up mostly of teenage boys, hangs on his every word. They move when Earl asks, fall silent when he calls for…
Reverb-laden Dream Pop Fills The Catalyst
Zachary Cole Smith’s stage presence is interesting, though admittedly unassuming. Dressed in black, head to toe, Smith’s small frame was engulfed in a linen shirt stretching down to his knees and oversized black pants. This is typical for the DIIV (pronounced dive) front man and he stayed true to form during his show last Wednesday night inside The Catalyst’s Atrium.