In a Daze: LSD and the Search for God at the Catalyst
By DJ Ratz There are moments of bliss, brief flashes when I am consumed by the sound of music. My sense of my body dissolves and the pain in my heels dissipates and nothing is on my mind; it is…
Reverberations From the 90s: Built to Spill at The Rio Theatre
By Maddox Conrady The nineties gave birth to a whole lot of things, from aggressive and angsty nu metal to big beat electronic music sweeping through the UK. As time has passed, we have seen certain influences, sounds, and aesthetics…
Danny Brown in a Big Cube at The Regency Ballroom
By Parker Rice Danny Brown's newest album Stardust came from a period of pivotal change for the Detroit rapper. As he went into rehab in 2023, Danny Brown was considering quitting music altogether. But what brought him a newfound love for music…
Folk-Country Critter Music: a Conversation with Meels at The Fillmore
By: Alex Lund Alex Lund interviews “Folk-Country Critter Music” pioneer, Meels, in this KZSC Exclusive Interview. This past Saturday, Meels, an up-and-coming Marin County country-folk artist, opened for bluegrass legend Molly Tuttle at her sold-out show at the historic Fillmore…
Inside the Ultrasound: Lorde at the Moda Center
By DJ Ratz An icy blue laser hits center stage as smoke machines cloud the air. Lorde, in all her holiness, appears as “Hammer”, the first track off her latest album, Virgin, blasts through the speakers. The reverbed vocal…
Geese Shreds to a Sold-Out Crowd at The Fillmore
By Serafina Holzer and Amelia Foster PRE SHOW On October 28th, DJ Foz and DJ Key were killed by the power of rock. The up and coming Brooklyn-based band Geese performed to a sold-out crowd at The Fillmore this past…
The Song is Over: A Farewell to The Who
By: Ashley Watrin On Wednesday, October 1, at Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms, California, iconic English band, The Who, bid a final farewell to their North American audience on the last stop of “The…
First Day Back Sells Out Hometown Show @ The Catalyst Atrium 9/24
Since their debut album in June 2025, First Day Back has shot into emo stardom. Pulling from 1990s second-wave emo influences (think of Braid, Algernon Caldawalder, Jejune, and Cap’n Jazz) reveals First Day Back’s revival of—and listeners’ interest in—this specific…
An Evening with Mariel Buckley and John Moreland at Felton Music Hall
On October 3, I had the pleasure of attending the John Moreland and Mariel Buckley concert at Felton Music Hall, one of the various stops on their tour. Before the show, I got to sit down with Mariel Buckley for…
Rain-Soaked Flyers and Backyard Goodbyes: An Interview with First Day Back
Written by Claudia Aguilera Santa Cruz band First Day Back released their debut album Forward on June 1, 2025, earning support from listeners drawn to their distinct sound, which nods to the 90s emo bands that shape their influences. With raw,…
An Evening in Seattle with Kaitlin Butts and Sierra Ferrell: Interview and Review
By: Alex Lund On Sunday, July 20th, I attended the magical opening show of Tacoma/Seattle's newest outdoor music venue, Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance Park. Headlining was the always whimsical Sierra Ferrell with the support of alt-country singer-songwriter Kaitlin Butts…
Odd Time Signatures Between the Vinyl Bins: Vetch @ Streetlight Records 5/18
Written by Claudia Aguilera Claudia Aguilera, with the assistance of Nina Carrillo, interview Vetch at Streetlight Records - Santa Cruz. From stalking a drummer at the climbing gym to crafting intricate riffs, the trio reflects on their evolution and…
The Sound of Nubya Garcia: Live at The Chapel
On the evening of April 17th, Nubya Garcia performed at The Chapel in San Francisco. After making tour stops in Japan, Australia, and the UK, she was bubbly while sharing her excitement for her first show in San Francisco…
KZSC Interviews Noeline Hofmann at Felton Music Hall
By: Alex Lund Alex Lund interviews "Country's Wild Rose" Noeline Hofmann in this KZSC Exclusive Interview. On Saturday, May 3rd, I had the opportunity to interview Noeline Hofmann after her show at The Felton Music Hall. Just one weekend…
Kitty Craft at The Catalyst 3/31 :)
Written by: Serafina Holzer and Fawn Zech Pamela Valfer, the ‘Queen Kitty’ of Kitty Craft, finished off the month of March with a wonderful show at the Catalyst’s Atrium, with lor2mg as her opener. Kitty Craft's Visit to KZSC Before…
SPY record release show 2/21 @ Neck of the Woods, SF
By Amahli Vivian SPY has become one of my favorite hardcore punk bands since seeing them support Gel nearly two years ago. I was lucky to see SPY as the headliner at their SF show at Neck of the Woods…
The Garden’s “Nine Desperate Dates” @ sold out Catalyst
By Amahli Vivian March 7, 2025, was not the first time The Garden had come to Santa Cruz. They had played at the Catalyst back in 2022, although I was unable to attend. Their most recent “Nine Desperate Dates” tour…
Positive Hardcore in Socal: A Night at the Moroccan Lounge with Fall Through, Silenced, Stand Tall, Start Today, and Kiowa
By Peyton K. A Youth Crew revival is on the horizon, and it's coming to a town near you. After hearing raving reviews of Start Today after they opened for Knumears' 2 Year Anniversary show on the 22nd, I knew…
A Rainy Evening at the Rio with Haley Heynderickx and The Westerlies
By: DJ Alla The sound of folk music is alive and well today in Haley Heynderickx. This past Friday the 31st I was lucky enough to see Haley at the Rio Theatre here in Santa Cruz. Haley is a Portland-based…
Bryson Tiller, 05/12/2024, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco
This was a highly anticipated concert for me personally, I had wanted to go for a while but was holding off on buying tickets because I couldn’t afford it. I was able to find people selling their last minute tickets…
Gunna and Flo Milli, 05/18/24, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco
There was a lot of excitement in the air at this event, it was a cool clear Saturday evening and you could almost feel the high energy waiting to enter the venue. The crowd overall was pretty diverse, some were…