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Four men sit on a fallen tree in a sunlit forest, all wearing casual clothing and glasses. The background is lush and green with tall trees and foliage.

Cool Ghouls at the Catalyst Atrium

Wednesday January 14th San Francisco's jangly rockers the Cool Ghouls will be bringing their vintage psychedelic sounds to the Catalyst Atrium. Fresh off the release of their Sonny Smith produced sophomore album "A Swirling Fire Burning Through The Rye," the…

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Two men pose together indoors on a staircase; one wears sunglasses and a white T-shirt, the other wears a NASA T-shirt and gives a thumbs-up. Both are smiling and looking at the camera.

Concert review: Lil B at the Catalyst Atrium

To further put off studying for finals last friday, I attended one of Bay Area rapper Lil B The BasedGod’’s #veryrare concerts at The Catalyst. Well known in the Bay for his work in rap group The Pack (who opened for him), Lil B has reached a distinguished status in the rap game through his extensive online social media presence as well as his prolific free mixtape collection available on the web. Best known for his self invented musical subgenre basedmusic, Lil B continues to expand and innovate within the hiphop genre with his stream of consciousness lyrics and eccentric selection of beats.

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A person in a white suit and helmet is hitchhiking near a road, holding a sign that says "Planet Cruz" in front of a green "Santa Cruz City Limit" sign under a clear blue sky.

Planet Cruz: Local Comedy at the Rio Theatre

Coming to the Rio Theatre this Saturday is Planet Cruz,  a comedy/variety show dedicated to 'keeping it weird', will feature the music of "the Goddess of Soul"  Tammi Brown and  Peter Cor and the Planetoid Band; Rhan Wilson, Matt Bohn, and Kevin Di…

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Bolo Rodrigues CD cover

Bowl’o BOLO

The charming and personable BOLO Mikiela Rodrigues plays Hawaiian Latin Classical Fusion, and he will be performing locally at the end of August! Here, overlooking the soft green seas of the Monterey Bay,  Bolo hopes to come on up  to our little redwood-grass shack on…

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The 2014 Summer Music Sale is THIS Saturday

The Verve Coffee / KZSC Summer Music Sale is THIS Saturday, Aug 30!  We're selling an eclectic mix of LPs and CDs for just 25 cents each. Groove to live music by Pyromids, Palmz, Burnt Palms, and others while you dig through rare and collectible music from many…

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Abstract illustration of a musician playing a trumpet, using bold geometric shapes and vibrant colors like yellow, blue, red, and black. The figure appears dynamic and energetic, with exaggerated limbs and stylized features.

57th Monterey Jazz Festival Ticket Giveaways!

The Monterey Jazz Festival is held every September on the Monterey County Fairgrounds, where the event was first presented in 1958. Holding the title of the longest running jazz festival in the world, The Monterey Jazz Festival presents the best of…

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Record Sale Flyer

Come to the 2014 Summer Music Sale Aug 30th

Tired of that cruddy mp3 sound? Got a quarter to spare? Come load up on record bargains at the Verve Coffee / KZSC Summer Music Sale on Sat, Aug 30! We're selling an eclectic mix of LPs and CDs for just 25 cents each. If that's…

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KZSC music tote bag

Summer music sale, Sat Aug 30

Everybody had such a good time at our first Summer Music Sale, we can hardly wait to do it again. It's almost time! We'll see you at Verve on Saturday August 30th. An expanded set of vendors, mild summer weather, and all…

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Three musicians perform outdoors; one plays a cello, another plays an acoustic guitar, and the third plays a snare drum. They are seated in a casual urban setting next to a building.

San Francisco Free Folk Festival, June 21-22

Coming up this weekend is the 38th Annual San Francisco Free Folk Festival, Sat-Sun June 21-22, 2014, with continuous concerts, workshops, dancing, and acoustic jamming from noon-10pm each day at Presidio Middle School in San Francisco. While donations will be accepted, this…

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Doe Eye May 28th

Doe Eye is the project of Maryam Qudus, a San Francisco based multi-instrumentalist. She just recently put out her debut album T E L E V I S I O N which was produced by John Vanderslice. It's got a…

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Colorful poster for the 5th Annual California Roots Music & Arts Festival in Monterey, CA, held May 23-25, 2014, at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, with stylized trees and a sunset background.

California Roots Festival May 23-25

The California Roots Music & Arts Festival began as a small grassroots event in Monterey.  It's now one of the largest and more unique festivals in the country. Combining elements of art, music and environmental consciousness, The California Roots Music…

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A group of people in vintage-style formal attire smile at the camera, with two women in elegant dresses and gloves sitting on the laps of several men in suits and hats in a warmly lit setting.

La Misa Negra & Stellamara May 23rd

Spring is the season for shaking it. If you're looking for fantastic world music to get everybody's on the dance floor, may we suggest internationally acclaimed electro-acoustic artist Stellamara? In collaboration with Colleena Shakti, Stellamara will showcase Odissi, Indian classical and contemporary dance, along…

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Four musicians perform together on stage, playing a violin, guitar, upright bass, and another guitar. They are closely gathered around a microphone, singing passionately. A green banner hangs in the background.

Santa Cruz Bluegrass Fair, Sat May 3rd

The 28th Annual Santa Cruz Bluegrass Fair is a FREE event on Saturday afternoon, May 3, 2014, outdoors on the Duck Pond Stage in San Lorenzo Park. The Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society (aka Northern California Bluegrass Society) sponsors this event, and invited five bands…

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Poster for International Jazz Day 2013 featuring logos for UNESCO, International Jazz Day, and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, with the date Tuesday April 30, 2013 displayed below.

April 30th: International Jazz Day!

If you didn't know, today, April 30th, is International Jazz Day! Around the world, musicians and listeners alike are celebrating the both the historical and contemporary significance of America's greatest musical treasure. Featuring performances by renowned artists all over the…

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A group of seven people posing together under a sign that reads "FLOR DE CAÑA." The photo is in sepia tone, and everyone is looking at the camera.

Flor de Cana April 22nd

KZSC World Music department's been getting some excellent new Latin music lately. From salsa to cumbia to bossa nova, we're all groovin' to the smooth spring rhythms, feeling the love for "tropicál" and finding some really cool influences & technologies…

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Three people sit together outdoors playing instruments—an accordion, a mandolin, and a guitar—smiling and enjoying themselves at a market with produce stands in the background.

Seabright Stringfest April 19th

The 3rd annual Seabright Stringfest is a cavalcade of continuous acoustic music.  This FREE event features 10 bands: Earl, Adrienne, Myles (oldtime rags); The Wakerobins (Americana/oldtimey); Theo and Dave (traditional Irish); Happy Chappies (traditional world music); The Percolators (Quebecois, oldtimey…

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