By DJ Ratz Taut skin and muscles flex as lengthy ribbon-adorned hair whips in the air. Sleek silver poles rotate dancers high above heavy beats coming from a DJ booth perched on stage scaffolding. Below an afterglow, British singer-performer, FKA…
By Amahli Vivian and Zane Bird Smith In January 2026, MyVeronica visited KZSC while on their California tour. MyVeronica is based in Los Angeles and first formed in 2021. Initially a solo project, the band has formed a full lineup…
Last Tuesday, as the rain clouds rolled back in over San Francisco, I was joined by the lovely and talented Lola Kirke, before her show at the Swedish American Hall on the tail end of The TMI tour. The actress,…
by Ryan McLean Davis / DJ Bugs A Paloma-induced account of Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage at Felton Music Hall: February 20, 2026. 7:45 p.m. Jeffrey Lewis stands silently over there, behind the merch table. Boyfriend buys me…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
