By Pat Miller I enjoy memories of Santa Cruz in the 1960s and ’70s, especially of the hippies and of the social activists. United States Doors at 8:30 PM, Show at 9:00 PM. Inexpensive food and coffee was served up alongside poetry and book readings, chess games and musical performances. At the time, the Catalyst … The club’s clientele can change greatly depending upon who they have playing, from upscale hipsters in their thirties and forties for classic acts to grungy teenagers for the all-ages shows. Everyone has to start somewhere, and open mics are a rite of passage for up-and-coming artists. The club used to be where Bookshop Santa Cruz is today, and didn’t move until Randall Kane, a spirited man who wore a uniform of rainbow suspenders, bought the club and moved it a few blocks down Pacific. Santa Cruz (/ ˈ s æ n t ə ˈ k r uː z /; Spanish for 'Holy Cross') is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California.As of 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated Santa Cruz's population at 64,608.. Blair Stenvick is a freelance writer who has lived in Santa Cruz for four years. These next concerts will be some of the most anticipated The Catalyst concerts in years. The Catalyst Jan. 21 Thu. The Catalyst Club, Santa Cruz, CA. Although the club’s current facade with the Catalyst lettering now feels iconic, the Catalyst so many know and love today wasn’t even in the same location before 1973. You can access Rocker’s from within the club or at the outside window on Pacific. 56K likes. Collections; Other Resources; About; Ask Us! The main room is 5000+ square feet and can hold 800+ people. Ohmme with V.V Lightbody. A historical documentary showcasing 40 years of music at the venue known as The Catalyst, in Santa Cruz California. That club is the Catalyst, and it’s been serving Santa Cruzans with affordable music and nightlife for over sixty years. Local bands sometimes open shows. It was a meeting place, a center of life for tons… The Catalyst Film premiere will be shown at The Rio Theatre 1205 Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz on Friday, March 17, 2017 doors at 7:00PM. Not On Sale. Upstairs is a dive bar with six pool tables, a jukebox and a few arcade games. 150 Exciting Things To Do in the San Francisco Bay Area | The Talkative Man. Source: Santa Cruz Public Libraries . Explorations in Santa Cruz history, from the perspective of a single site, using newspaper articles and other contemporary resources which are likely and notoriously biased, inaccurate and incomplete; yet provide a scaffold for even deeper explorations of our geographic ancestors. The Catalyst remains one of the top venues for concert tours in Santa Cruz. The Catalyst is a nightclub located at 1011 Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz, California.The club has hosted big-name artists such as The Beach Boys, Neil Young, Janis Joplin, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Iggy Pop and Nirvana.The Catalyst moved to its current location in 1973. Alluring. At any given time, the Catalyst’s calendar can feature acts as varied as Tegan and Sara, Tyler the Creator, Streetlight Manifesto, Cold War Kids, Big Boi of Outkast, Pepper, The Expendables — the list goes on and on. More Santa Cruz History That club is the Catalyst, and it’s been serving Santa Cruzans with affordable music and nightlife for over sixty years. Although doors open an hour before the show starts, there tend to be very long lines, so it’s advised to get there as early as possible. Visit Santa Cruz County works to enhance tourism, the visitor experience, and the area economy by positioning and promoting Santa Cruz County as a year-around visitor, conference and film destination. […]. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. The Catalyst is known as a music venue, but most people from Santa Cruz know it is much more than that. The restaurant connected to the Catalyst serves some of the tastiest, greasiest slices in town, along with wings and soda. 389 reviews of The Catalyst "One of the best places to see a show in Santa Cruz, or just a place to hang out and have a beer with some friends. Date: 1986-03-25 Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel Type: NEWS Visit Santa Cruz County is a private, non-profit corporation, serving as the official visitor marketing entity for Santa Cruz County. I loved to go there. Santa Cruz, CA. The Catalyst Nightclub is the largest club in Santa Cruz. The History. It finds me back from being on the road with Stan Kenton's band, back in Santa Cruz collecting unemployment insurance. 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