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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
By Amahli Vivian Hometown shows tend to be more lively compared to other shows. Scowl, a local hardcore punk band took over the Santa Cruz Catalyst stage on November 30 for their "Annual Dance Party 2024." I was lucky enough…