The Catalyst

Great spot for shows, especially if you can get a spot up on the atrium. Smaller venue and worth it every time Ive been here.

I LOVE the Catalyst. Have seen so many great shows here over the last 50 years! Both here and the old building, pre 89 quake.. would like to see the calendar format come back to the website though. Need tix to a punk show in August. 😁👍

As always, Death Angel put on a superb performance. They never disappoint. I was kind of disappointed that Forbidden was removed from the lineup although the three opening bands, Phantom Witch, Exmortus and Warbringer more than made up for it. Awesome performances from all of them. Lots of great fans out there. Good selection of alcohol and prices werent bad at all.

Upon entering the venue, we were poorly greeted by staff complaining when the line was going to end. They were upset about how many people were attending a sold out show (less than 400 people in the Atrium) which I found extremely unprofessional. Once in the door, I asked a staff member where the bathroom is, and he rudely responded, “It’s in THERE (motioning to the Atrium), use your EYES!!!” Following this, he mocked me with a binocular motion, leaving a bad taste in my partner’s and my mouth for the rest of the night.The only thing good about this place was that the mixing was exceptional, I could hear Hojean’s vocals over the instruments. Also, despite the Atrium being sold out, at max capacity there was still plenty of room to dance around and not be in the middle of a crowd.

We frequent this venue when we’re on tour & it’s always a great night! The staff is friendly & helpful. The crowd is always fun & enjoying themselves.During our last visit (post-Covid), they weren’t serving food but I remember them selling food before (pre-Covid) which was pretty good. There are a lot of good food options around the venue also.

I have been going to the Catalyst for many many years. Why does the staff hate their jobs and take it out on the people going to the shows?! It was the best local secret for so long. Great music comes here. The place is grimy sticky and filthy. Never cared about those things until staff became angry and mean! what happened? If staff has to treat the people awful I suggest you dust those cobwebs that have been there since my grandpa played the venue. also fix the locks on the bathroom stalls. The catalyst has changed and not for the better. Be the locals favorite place or this will be the end....treat people with respect and dignity. Not so difficult.

Great sound quality at a concert, staff is great, water is $2. super easy to park and get in!

Classic venue in downtown SC! Don’t expect them to take your coat when you come in and give you a mint in the bathroom though. This Venue has character for sure.

I have been to this venue a couple times over the years. I saw Ekali in 2019 and Niki in 2022. This is a very fun venue if you are interested in seeing performers up close and getting to know them personally. It really feels like they are right in front of you! The venue doesnt have much flashy lights, visuals, or any special effects... It is simply a stage at the end of the day.They lack a proper air conditioning system or some ventilating fans! It was insanely hot inside the venue and I was finding myself growing warmer and warmer as the concert went on. I felt bad because someone in the crowd fainted mid-show! There were also many people who were stepping out and looked lightheaded... they would have to squeeze through the crowd. Niki was really kind to ask management to give waters out to everyone in the crowd! You could definitely tell, as a performer, she was a bit shaken from the person passing out.Some Pros:+ Water bottles at the bar were only $2+ You could get a good view from most parts of the venue since it is intimate and smaller than most+ Audio was decent and I didnt hear any delay+ It was very easy to purchase tickets via ETIX

The main showroom is always so filthy. I think that is why the lights are never on except when to leaveI fear that I may actually have to use the bathroom. No locks on some of the stalls. No tissue. Sticky floors YUCKY. More security than at the airport. FOR THE PRICE OF ADMISSION you think they could apply some pain and clean the floors!

The Catalyst has space for 600 people between a main floor and two upstair balconies thats after the main lobby. It has an ADA compliant ramp and lift for physically impaired peoples to access the main floor, which I appreciate. The alcohol was considerably expensive, but partly worth the spend if you especially saved up for the occasion. The building is a tad bit dated, but it serves its purpose well, and the staff was incredibly accommodating and kind towards disabled folk. They were friendly and provided the safety necessary for an enjoyable experience.

Favorite venue EVER!! both the main stage and atrium are the perfect size for small concerts. the catalyst always has some fun, upcoming artists performing for very cheap tickets. i’ve always had a great time and have always been at the very front of the stage. staff are super nice here including the ones at the bar (regardless if you are 21 or not).

This was a great experience me and my group went on a day with some not so popular bands performing so it was pretty chill and crowd still had a good vibe even though there wasnt very many people.

Poor staff..walked in to find seating up top. No one told us that we sat on the wrong side to have a drink...what is wrong with this place. We had to take turns having our drinks apart. Well the catalyst lost out on us spending money on more drinks...

This is a nice place for concerts and/or night club, spacious it has a complete bar of course, it is two floors and is located right on downtown Santa Cruz, right next to another bar and right across from the bus station. I believe it is open on weekends as a night club

Awesome venue. If you want to be in the middle or in the front of the action this is the place. Staff are super friendly and super helpful. Booze to me is cheap.

Favorite place in Santa Cruz to catch a show, by far. Great location. Friendly staff. Couldn’t ask for a better place to catch a show.

Loud and obnoxious drunk people. I guess I should have expected that in a classic or the classic Santa Cruz bar music venue... Much prefer Felton Music Hall

Great variety of music acts. Saturday saw Molli Wa & Sambada, African jazz fusion & Brasilian. Good size venue, not too big.

I have seen multiple concerts here in the past few months. Love that the venue is small and entament expecially if you see a show in the atrium like I seen Rebel Souljahz

Definitely a fun venue, just the sound wasnt perfect at times and the lights were so bright it was awkward haha. I am used to venues with dark lighting and cool light effects. I saw the same band that I just saw in SF and the lighting and soundwas a lot worse here, but the tickets were half the price!!!!

Just wanted to say that the staff were incredibly helpful and kind. Id seen a review on here saying they were the opposite, and just wanted to share my experience. I showed up late to a show there after the opener had finished, as I usually plan to do because Im in chronic pain and the longer I sit/stand the worse my back pain gets, so I try to miss the opener to minimize the pain Ill be in for the band I came to see. Anyway I came in a power wheelchair, but they didnt have a good setup or elevator for that, and it turns out I shouldve shown up 10 minutes early to be let in first with the other disabled patrons. But anyway. It was my mistake really, but the staff were so incredibly kind and helpful, they helped my friend find a spot where I could sit and let me park my powerchair somewhere safe. Not only that, but the manager gave me a free ticket to ANY show in the next year just because he felt bad for the inconvenience. Really blew me away!Other than that, the venue is pretty nice. I always love intimate venues like this where you can get closer to the artists youre coming to see. It does get a little hot and humid in there though lol. Overall I had an incredible experience for my first time there.Royal Blood!!

Great club. Still the same as it was in 1980. Love the vibe.Staff is professional and friendly. Tix for shows are relatively cheap.One downside: No chairs in the balconies, and very few seats on the floor. Why?

Good variety of shows in the main room and The Atrium. The sound could definitely be a bit better but overall it’s a great place to see touring and local bands. The upstairs room was very spacious and the bartender was great.

Sweet venue with lots of stuff to do in town! Go early to enjoy the beach ⛱️

The Catalyst is iconic. I first saw Dogs in a Pile here in 2023 and been coming here regularly since then.

Fun place to see a concert

Love seeing shows here! I’ve been in two of the venues and both were great. Safe to go alone, parking is easy.

Saw a show there 3/10/23 in the Atrium (which is a side room on the ground floor from the main room). Acoustics could be better I hate to say. Im picky, but for me the sound was a bit muddy and was lacking for me. We were disappointed to find out that they no longer have the pizza kitchen open, so if youre expecting to eat anything while youre there...there is NO PIZZA or any other food, so eat before! We did still enjoy ourselves and tickets and drinks were reasonable. Nice casual Santa Cruz vibe.

I love this place, I used to always go here when I was younger... Has a great variety of different musicians play, Ive seen some of my favorite bands play here and it is always affordable prices. The people that work there have always been polite, crowd is usually down to earth as well. Overall great place 👌

Saw two shows here and had a great time. The drink lines are a little bit insane they try but they just are way understaffed. Good sound, historic cavernous theater great for sightlines

Such a great venue, so many great performers have come & continue to come, very open but personal performances space I love the feel & vibe of The Catalyst!

Guysss fix your AC we were DYING in the balcony, the artist mentioned how hot it was multiple times. Seriously consider investing in some ceiling fans? I’ve been to countless shows and 10/13/23 was egregiously hot.

Grew up going to this venue. It’s the largest venue in SC - but still intimate. Better suited for certain genres givin the acoustics of the room. I enjoy the atrium for how small it is. The best venue to go see The Expendables, of course.

They convinced me to do karaoke for the first time and I have terrible stage fright. The fact that I was comfortable enough to do it here, says a lot about the hospitality and welcoming environment of this place. Will for sure come back. Thank you so much! Drinks are priced good, too.

Sound system is not good at all. Unfortunately the vocals and guitars are drowned out by drum and bass. Over half of the song does not come through and makes most songs indistinguishable. Security and staff dont do anything to remove crowd killers or obviously over-inebriated attendees. Venue is small and intimate though so that is a small plus.

They need more security and need to learn how to run a venue and keep people safe

Summary: wont refund you for tickets purchased when a show is cancelled.Details: In Feb 2020, I purchased tickets to a show in May. They postponed the show (in reality they never rescheduled a new date for the show). Here is what they told me by email:> Based on [the CDCs] recommendations, The Catalyst will be postponing this show. All tickets will be honored for the new date that will be announced shortly.The Catalyst never announced a new date, and never issued refunds. Ive attempted to call them by phone during normal business hours, but it goes straight to voicemail.

I’ve gone to concerts here before and really enjoyed them. Unfortunately, I didn’t understand the new health and safety protocols and thought I could use a negative covid-19 test within the last 72 hours in order to attend the concert I bought tickets for. However, I can’t. It has to be a vaccine card. While I was upset, I understand, but what I don’t understand is the customer service. I called numerous times and only ever got an answering machine. I finally left a message and never received a call back. I wanted to clarify their protocols and potentially get my money back. Since no one called me back, I read all the fine print and surprisingly there are no refunds and no exchanges. I couldn’t even give my tickets away because they were at will call and needed my ID. AND they reserve the right to change the time, date and location of the concert without notice and without notifying you. SO just FYI, don’t buy unless you are 1,000% sure you can go or don’t mind losing the money.

Workers are friendly , I love this place. Only thing I have is wish theyd have ac in there or something it gets so hot.. And the other thing is, they say its first come first serve for the seats upstairs on the left side..So we got there early and waited in line for two hours just so they can let in other people first. Which its not okay. We were literally the first in line.

The music here is legendary. From No Doubt to Snoop Dawg and every up and comer in between there is always a good show here. The staff is great, even Security. check out the new upstairs bar on Mondays. This used to be a railway station but all stops are here now for a good time.

Good fun venue but its not what it used to be. Decor is very run down now. Blackout theme now vs tropical in the 80s. Good sound and service, poor selection at the bar. Just the basics. A fair beer selection, not great IMO. Limited cocktails. Fair drink prices, except for bottled water. Cold pizza is the only food now. This used to be a nice place. Its a dive now, but a nice dive.

THE downtown Santa Cruz venue. Great bands, great bar upstairs and the best pizza downtown (has some crunch in the crust). The bar overlooks the Atrium so you can see the bands playing there, the main hall is long and narrow and seating is unassigned but a great place to see a show. Frequent great special events Worth stopping in whether you are seeing a show or not

This is a great venue to catch a show. It is a decent size floor, but even in the back you can still see the show easily. I really enjoyed the set up. I will definitely be trying to see my favorite groups here.

Save your money...and if your a live artist/band dont play the atrium. The atrium is small and theres hardly ventilation, it gets super hot and humid...just saw AJJ with Why? at the atrium it was a terrible experience so hot...I left the concert early. Another thing I disliked if your 21 + you need to drink at a designated area separated by an ugly orange frame.

Always a good time!

This place is a must to stay in tune with their calendar!They have many well known bands/performers and it gets packed!Awesome to be able to see someone whos music you love in a small place and up an front.Ive been going here for years, definitely a place not to miss!

As I am rating the venue and not the artist I would have to say this is a pretty average venue. There is nothing special about it. Just an empty room with a stage and large speakers. Drinks are WAY overpriced although they did have some great bartenders who took care of everyone right away. For the show I was at you are restricted to a sectioned of area if you want to drink. Bathroom was disgusting but I wasnt surprised about that. My biggest concern is that they are more worried about people with drinks rather than people smoking inside.

Great venue that also serves pizza and has pool and an awesome laid back bar upstairs. Ive seen a bunch of shows here and they havent thrown me out yet, so thats something. Always surprised at the quality acts that this place ends up dragging down to Santa Cruz. Last saw Gogol Bordello here in November of 16. The show was transcendent.

Might just be my favorite place to see a show. This place is notorious for getting headlining performers to play in a small venue for a very reasonable ticket price. I have yet to be disappointed. Also serve late night greasy pizza from the street and have a couple bars as well. The Atrium is the second stage. It is floor level viewing has a bar and is good. But I prefer the main hall.

Awesome place to come watch gr8 bands such as tonight here watching Fortunate Youth....cool to meet the band... And February for Josh Hendricks

Awesome venue. Great sound. Professional staff. Good vibes

Asian dude at the merch counter is such a buzz kill. I doubt the dude actually listens to music. Unenthusiastic as hell staring at his phone while you stand there. With a look of Im surrounded by vermin non stop.Only reason this place got 3 stars is because at least they get good artists but this dude is enough for me to just go elsewhere for my concerts.

I really like this venue, its well located in a popular area of Santa Cruz so walkable from dinner before the show or drinks after. It also has an intimate college atmosphere, with several bars within view of the stage and the entrance has a ramp leading down so you get a nice view of the whole joint when you initially walk in. Id be a regular here but I dont live in SC so the drive is a bit much!

Great Santa Cruz music and event venue. Or is really fun to be there. Loved my room there

Great venue, excellent stages, good sound system. Theres cheap pizza, and good drinks. Ive seen all kinds of shows here; rock, EDM, punk - it really runs the gamut. Always very impressed by the venue and the staff is wonderful.

The venue is nice. unfortunately my friends and i ended up leaving early from the show we had been waiting months for. too many people smoking weed was super overwhelming and made us feel sick and uncomfortable. super disappointed with the rules and regulations of the catalyst. they really need to stress more and new rules about it being a non smoking venue. still so sad we had to leave the show. i hope it improves with time but for now i won’t be a returning customer.

Not the worlds classiest venue, but the catalyst is unique. Acoustics are decent... the venue can be quite intimate. Pro tip: buy drinks in the bar outside and upstairs and use the bathrooms there too... its faster, because there are no lines. Youre welcome.

Seen at least 50 shows here over the years, and have loved every one. The atrium is so intimate, and the main stage is great as well. One of my all time favorite venues.

I was 15 yrs old in 1970. As a run away I hung out in Santa Cruz for a while . I loved the Catalyst at that time. Tonight i was shopping for mushrooms.... Damn this brought such good memories. I found shops.for shrooms and thought to Google this place.

Security was awesome , great experience!

While the venue & staff are totally fine, their website charges you a 17.00 convenience fee to use their website to buy tickets & 6.95 to email you tickets. Email is free but for their automated service computer to email you tickets its 6.95?!?! WTF? Id definitely recommend seeing a show there, but get your tickets anywhere else but from them.

I love this spot. Seen a lot of cool shows here. Be warned that standing in line outside the venue can be rough (some of the homeless locals can be a little confrontational). Other than that, I try to see shows here as often as possible.

My friends warned me about this place. That they had become way too strict with their customers. I had to see for myself.I went to see J-Boog with 5 other friends. Nobody was overly drunk. My friend ordered 5 drinks from the bar downstairs. We didnt realize it was cash only. When the bartender saw that my friend didnt have any cash he began to flip out. My friend said hey hold on for one second Ill have my friend pay for it no big deal. I ran to the ATM while my friend waited at the bar. I was back in less than 3 minutes. I paid the bill and the bar tender proceeded to accuse us of attempting to get over on the club and take drink without paying. He was paid albeit 3 minutes later but the bill was taken care of all while somebody waited at the bar. Because of this all 5 of us were kicked out of the bar. Meanwhile as we are getting escorted out of the bar we had to walk through several huge clouds of weed and the bouncer didnt even trip!! The bar tender was extremely rude and so were the bouncers. Very unprofessional. I will not return. This place is for the kids.

Just saw the Purple Ones tonight. Amazing! Music mixing was a bit on the high side for instruments and low for singing, but the band was fab. Super funky!

The staff were very friendly, the cocktails were very good, and the bands were great!This place does not serve food.

Pretty bad-ass venue in SC. I went and saw one of my favorite bands here last year (2013). Its a good size with provides for a pretty intimate environment.Go check it out and have a blast.

Great venue, though I wish they would crack down on all the vaping.

Good venue for locals trying to see performing artists without having to go all the way up to SF.If the artist you want to see is also playing in the city, definitely go for that. While this venue is great, it can be a total sweatbox on sold out nights. This is also due to the fact the venue is quite small.Save $2 and avoid endorsing Nestlé products by bringing your own water bottle/buying a cup of water from Rockers Pizza (the in venue pizza place) for a quarter. Otherwise, youll have to go the sinks for water as there is no fountain.

This place is your standard concert hall aimed for rock bands and what not. The variety of bands that pass through this place is incomparable. Theyve improved their facilities a lot over the past decade. Still my favorite place to see a concert.

Always a good time at the catalyst! Ive gone to this venue dozens of times over the years and have never been dissapointed. The staff is nice and atmosphere is good. You can even catch a pizza before or after the show. Drinks are reasonably priced.

Pretty much the only music venue that gets recognizable acts in Santa Cruz. They get a great variety of artists but the place itself is average. Pretty much what you would expect from a music venue. There isnt anything really exceptional about this venue, aside from the acts they get,

Cool venue. Real hipster vibe. A little old school looking but gives a really close and upfront interaction with the audienece. The balconies look like a cool spot(i did not go up), but the opportunity to be closer to the performer seemed more appealing. Slightly on the small side(its santa cruz, what do you expect?). Gets hot quick if the venue is decently full. Hopefully you can park close and not take a jacket inside if its cold out.In general, great place to go with friends to see some great artists.

This is the go-to place for music and pizza in downtown Santa Cruz. There are 3 separate music venues.... a back room for large shows. A front room for medium shows, and an upstairs for small shows. They constantly work on improving the sound in each one. An awesome place.

Was forcibly removed because I stood where a few cows didnt want me. Wasnt causing any problems, just standing. Security removed me from the venue. I wont spend another penny there. I have seen many shows there and thought it a great place to see bands, how wrong I was. Hope they close the place.

A great local venue that hosts a pretty wide variety of bands. The main hall is long instead of wide, which does limit sight lines, but luckily the stage is elevated enough that most everyone gets a good view.

Can’t wait for the Big Box show!!!

The venue is just okay. Everything is very dirty and outdated, but its a concert venue so whatever. The security is a REAL problem. They have no qualms about putting you in the hospital just for giving them a funny look, be careful going as a black person or tourist, dont pre-game, and dont try and reason with them. Im from santa cruz but Ive heard too many stories from locals and tourists alike to not speak the truth here. Someone needs to be fired.On the plus side, sound is okay and they can really get some good headliners in there.I will revise my review if certain people, who have been named in past reviews as well as word of mouth, are replaced with professional venue security. Its a really big problem, but one of the only problems.

I usually love to attend shows and concerts at this venue, but lately I feel the service has been slacking.Last night I tried to buy tickets at the box office around 11pm. The gentleman cleaning up told me no one was available and to come back the next day at 3pm when it reopens. So I arrive today at 3pm on the dot and walked in (door was unlocked). No one was around, so I waited until I saw someone and asked if I could get some assistance purchasing tickets.I was then asked to wait outside until someone was available to come up. So I waited another 15 min or so, and no one ever came. I was on my lunch break, so I couldnt wait any longer.Im really disappointed I still havent been able to get my tickets. I dont mind buying them online, but I didnt want to pay the additional $7 in fees when I live about 2 miles away.

One of my favorite venues in the Bay. Intimate and fun. Great mix of balconies and floor space. They always have the up and coming or underground acts you are looking for.

Great spot for an intimate concert. If you want to drink stay on the left side.

Frequently hosts artists that usually play at larger venues. Caters to University and young students, with many concerts 16+. Generally attracts positive and enthusiastic crowds that respect the artists and other concert goers. Great bartenders and staff.

Great venue for music - a real part of history. As a general bar its OK. But the secret is going to the Atrium side for breakfast in the morning. Yes, you read that right - breakfast. Dont wait in long lines for the usual breakfast spots. The Catalyst has great local coffee and excellent fresh-squeezed orange juice and a the 4-egg Denver omelette is a fantastic cheesy meaty late-morning meal for a hungry guy (especially after a dawn-patrol surf). They also get bacon and sausages from a local meat production company with bread from a local bakery. Prices are quite reasonable and, again, no waiting in line. Have a great meal and then go for a walk downtown and delight in shopping our fabulous local businesses.

Always enjoyable music venue. They book awesome bands. Get there early if you want to sit but mostly dance in place to the great music.

Great club! Intimate setting; saw blue scholars here and was really close to the performers! Loved the show and the venue is chill! Go to rockers afterwards for a slice of pizza!

Requires vaccination on the 15th and the band I want to see is on the 16th. Bought my ticket 3 months out... What an absolute bummer, I wouldnt mind taking a covid test, but now I cant see my favorite band Ive been waiting months to see. I guess whoever wants flamingosis tickets hmu, cause I highly doubt Ill get refunded for these.

Nice place and good choice to either be on the floor or up on the second floor

The catalyst is grungy, run down, and really not in the best place of town. It is really not the best place to be at night time, when you are walking back to your car. With that being said, it is the premier music venue in Santa cruz, this is where the most popular musicians will come, it is a santa cruz staple and has been for many years, and this is why I will continue to come to shows here.The catalyst has a bar and pool hall upstairsDownstairs they have a pizza kitchen, that also faces out onto the street through a pickup window. The pizza here is actually really good. Off to the left is the atrium, where smaller name bands will play, and the mainstage is straight ahead.Once inside the main hall, there is a wheelchair ramp to the right to take you down to the main stage area (**for handicaps** I believe the ramp will also take you up to the balcony but now I cant remember if it is a staircase? Ill check and edit my review) the balcony on the left side is only a staircase. There are two bars in the main stage area, with at least one of them being a cash only bar. For some events they will roll out a pizza cart to the main hall, but often times you just have to walk back out to the pizza kitchen.The sound system is solid, this is a great place to see a show forsure. It does get crowded, and there is usually just standing room only on the main floor, but there are some benches on the outer rim. The upstairs balcony has tables for seating.The security here is a crock, most of the security guards are either hitting on girls, selling drugs, or getting drunk. Dont rely on the security to intervene if there is an issue. I have heard of many situations where security guards allowed people to get jumped and just watched.

Security can be a little pretentious and some shows are definitely lame in terms of who is playing. Overall its a hit or miss. Ive had some awesome nights here and other times I wonder who even listens to this?

Awesome venue, very intimate. Price per artist is pretty good imo. Drinks are expensive and ticket will call was a little difficult.

Its hard to belive that this is a music venue at all really. I have been to several concerts here over the years and the sound is infinitely better in the Atrium than in the actual Catalyst and thats not saying much.They definitely should work on their acoustics or at least upgrade to better speakers because its honestly appaling and they should truly be ashamed of themselves for calling themselves a music venue.No wonder big names harldy play here, fix your sound!

Be weary of buying tickets before hand. Concert got cancelled and they did not want to refund my tickets. Only buy tickets if youre sure this venue has no way of stealing your hard earned money.

The staff and management here is absolutely horrific. I was talking to a girl who seemed very interested in me. Some bouncer apparently liked her, because for no reason, he dragged me down the stairs, and threw me out on the street. Dont go here until they learn to hire better staff.

Ive always been impressed with the sound quality at this venue. Conveniently located in the heart of downtown, what appears to be a dive, the sounds is great with a good variety of genres flowing through.

What venue makes you go into a separate zone (with its own giant line) to get a beer, then you cant take it outside said zone? What a hassle.That said, the show was great, and the sound was spot on.

Its a good setting lots of people come play here and great way to spend a friday or saturday night. Can get rowdy if youre not careful but security is usually on it well. Small chill setting.

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic concert.. just awesome!

Grungy dirty (in a good way) the catalyst is santa Cruz, I went there to attend a suicide girls burlesque show and the venue was more than spacious, it even had three separate bars and the servers where all stunning young ladies of the free spirit kind, Ive since attended other shows there.

Drove 4 hours to see a band that we were really looking forward to. The venue changed the time and we ended up missing the show. When we talked to the staff they said there was nothing they could do and sometimes they just change the times. Needless to say, I will not be going back.

Great spot to see live music and bigger groups in a rather intimate setting. Billiards upstairs. Dont mess with the locals and youll have a good time!

Great place to see live music. Main room has a great sound system and the staff is always cool.

The Catalyst is a historic concert venue, and i would love to give the place 5 stars. the acoustics are great, and there is a real sense of history when you walk onto the floor. That said the staff is just awful - surly, discourteous, relentlessly unfriendly. A 5 star venue, with a 1 star staff.

Been to a couple shows here and love the venue. Great atmosphere and always have a good time here with the lads

Not a huge venue by any means, but the environment is very welcoming. It can be a bit hard finding some parking at times so make sure to get their a little bit early.The bathrooms are usually trashed though and there can be poor ventilation when it gets too crowded.

We purchased tickets for a Meet and Greet, which was cancelled. A week later and still no refund, no responses to any of my messages or emails and zero communication about when we can expect a refund. TERRIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICE. AND THE FILTHIEST BATHROOMS AROUND.

Classic venue. Ive been Goin to shows here for 20+ years and hope to continue to go to shows for 20+ more years.

Probably the least professionally run stage in the bay area - not going back unless whatever band is playing literally dont play elsewhere. PS. Whatever came out of their tap wasnt beer (clean the damn lines if youre selling beer!)

Downtown Santa Cruz, the Catalyst Club is nearby to lots of fun things to do before or after the show. Ive been going to shows here since I was a kid, but never took advantage enough, of what a great venue it is. Stay in Santa Cruz overnight, its walking distance to many motels/hotels, and downtown has many fun restaurants and bars to check out. If you cant afford the rates during spring/summer, then hold out till winter, when the rates drastically fall, you can find nice places for $80-100/night. You can also wlak to the Boardwalk amusement park and Santa Cruz warf for more things to do. I live just over the hill in SJ and feel very lucky to have Santa Cruz nearby!

Regularly disallows black people, and they HATE if you pre-game. Bouncers are picky and again quite racist, thus taking away from the experience (you know, by throwing your ticket in the trash and saying 2 shots is too drunk to enter or get your 21 stamp). Obviously Im speaking from my own bad experience, however this is the second time Ive been the only african american there and been kicked out for the massive disturbance of listening from the back of the crowd while buzzed or even sober.

Awesome venue, great drinks and service.

I love this venue. Always had fun and their beer is priced just like any bar. Good times to be had here!

Great service and an upstairs (21 & up) with pool and they also have pizza! It is pretty much first come first serve so get there early if you want to be in the front row.

Wow, magpie salute was fantastic. I brought two friends who absolutely loved the show too. Im looking forward to many more sbows to come from this brilliant band

This is a great venue for small and large shows alike. They have multiple bars and quite a cozy feel.

Fetty wap put on a good show

Went to see Molotov and I liked the place very much cause it does not get crowded, the sold beer at reg price and the people working there were cool. Two thumbs up!

Great environment great headliners!! Best night of my life?! Maybe but definitely worth going to a show there!!!

Cozy but not cramped, either venue is a great place to enjoy music. Staff is polite and effective, and the pizza is good too.

Catalyst is a cozy venue with a very diverse showing of artists. Its the kind of place whose historic appeal can sometimes attract big names with low ticket prices . However, staff can be very rude when the venue states getting packed and I have already had an instance where a friend got kicked out over perceived gender while trying to use the bathroom, this derailed our whole night as we left our show before the headliner came out without even getting a refund. 5 star place with 1 star service.

Had a great time here on new years almost brought a lady twice my age home until my buddy saved me. I hope everyone has an amazing time here! I did!

Some Security wss unprofessional but love going to see snow da Product every time she tours to that city.

THE BEST VENUE LAST TIME I WAS HERE SOMEONES PEPPER SPRAY GOT STOMPED ON IN THE MOSH PIT AND EXPLODED EVERYONE HAD TO EVACUATE (which the staff was v helpful in that situation) AND THE BAND JUST KEPT PLAYING (The Garden)its a v intimate venue so if youre going to see an artist youll more likely be able to maneuver youre way to front row which is always fun

I want to make sure that anyone who is thinking of going here knows that this place is sketch. Make sure you come with people don’t go by yourself. Be safe everyone

Love the parking lot behind here, can always hear the music loud and clear when there’s shows and it’s super cheap to park overnight.

Small but mighty venue! Prices for drinks are reasonable and the atmosphere is just what I wanted when going to see a local band!

Great place for shows always.

Nice small venue. Very few chairs. Arrive early for best seating, otherwise youll be standing for hours.

Best place in town to catch an amazing band or two. The venue is great and they always have great names performing

Was threatened by two men trying to take a small woman with MSs table. They tried to steal the table and said they would throw me over the balcony if I alerted security. Got there 4 hours ahead to get a table because of the health issue. Told security anyway. They did nothing. Two other women tried to steal my friends purse. Really bad place now. Been going each year for Y and T. Never again.

The staff here is unbearable. They are cruel and entitled, policing their patrons like children. I will never give this place another penny and will spend the extra money to see my music in the city. Pray for new ownership.

Awesome local venue, every time Ive come here for a show its always been a good time.

OK size venue with a 21+ section...people can be rowdy but its a good place to come to a show were you are trying to get away with smoking

The Catalyst is one of the best...if not the best place in the tri county area to see live music. The sound system is top notch. Been coming here for years and will continue to do so.

Shows are great, bouncers are super nice, but do not eat here.

Cozy. Great sound. Saw some great bands. Beers at the show cost less than at my local bar.

EVERY time i come to the catalyst they NEVER end at the time they say they are going to end they say the show will beginat 9 p.m. but always start late around 9:30 or 9:35 and always END super early by 11 p.m. people drive from other cities just to support and pay for this events. I have videos to prove the time I arrived and the time Securities start kicking us out , DEFINITELY not worth driving here anymore . it aint the first or second time this has happened

People seem to like it, busy all day. My Americano was sub-par. Place looked like an awesome place, hope to give it another shot when Im in the area again.

The security here is really not very smart. They saw my ticket and pretended like it wasnt valid. I just left instead of wasting my breath on dotards.

My personal favorite venue. Small enough to have intimate shows, large enough to get the party going.

I like this venue. Its small but good. Bathrooms have improved they used to be really gross but they hired an attendant

Popular groups and people from all over perform right here. Also, their pizza is the best, so delicious.

It was good i love the catalyst but a tour manager of sobxrbe hit me in the face and the manager who worked at the venue told me too call the police respectfully they cared about my safety and sobxrbe i wouldnt reccomend anybody taking there kids too see them there violent two more fights broke out at that show and people got injured i hope they are banned because there immature and attack people i now have a contusion bleeding too the brain because of them i hope they get banned from there but other than that i love the catalyst such a big help sergio is also the best

An established venue for shows in the area. Bar upstairs and pizza downstairs. Two rooms for different shows means the place can get really packed.

Came to see Wild Rivers at the Catalyst. Love this venue! Its intimate in a good way! Dante (Catalyst security) is the best!! Believe whatever he says 😉

Worst staff you could ask for at a venue, not keeping people safe. Be careful here late at night.

Awesome venue but the door/ticket people are completely rude/unpleasant. Otherwise a total 4/5 star! !

Thoroughly enjoyed watching bands play here. Great environment and awesome vibes and fans.

Could have used a few more chairs in the back room but other then that had a great time at the burlesque show :)

Excellent venue for live music. Good sound, good bartenders, good pizza, what more do you need?

I miss that place always had fun when I went there good music good ppl

Yikes!! This is not the first timeI’ve heard horror stories of violence and drugging at this establishment. STAY AWAY. Vote with your dollars and DO NOT SUPPORT a place that doesn’t take violence against women seriously.

Great location. Get up and personable with the bands. Cheap drinks for a club.

I saw Cherub here and it was crazy. The social scene was appropriate for the music. Security was chill too when it came to drugs and bev.

Always a great show at the catalyst. Great beer selection for the venue, even better than some bars.

Surprisingly good music plays at this kinda bad venue. Go for the band but if you get the chance see theme else where.

Great venue for concerts. Its like hanging out with the band and its str8 personal here.

Decent venue when its not so crowded you are shoulder to shoulder. they always over sell tickets and it ends up being really crowded.

Brought back memories I’ve never even had lol 😂

Place sold me tickets online and was closed. No answer on the phone and the website was still promoting the show.Huge waste of time.

Sometimes a big name act comes through and you have no choice but to shell out 20 - 50 bucks and stand in a crowded smoky venue on with bad sound.

Went to see The Amity Affliction. The band was great but the sound was a nightmare really disappointing place to live 👎👎👎👎👎

Average venue, but they get some awesome artists that come through there

It was a nice place and small so you can get more personal with the event your attending

I managed to get in without having my tickets checked. Place was ok, show was good.

Love the atmosphere ppl are great live that they are bring reggae to our town.

Awful security and notorious for non action for violence against women. Not a place to go to feel safe whatsoever:

Great venue for metal shows

Good music, decently priced booze. A good place with a large variety of performers

Went for a rock concert. People and staff super friendly and security kept peace during the entire concert

Great venue to see Cody Jinks that put on one hell of a show! Love that man

Awesome venue for music! Drinks and company were great!

I have been coming here since I was 16. My favorite venue, hands down

Travis one of the employees for one live media helped me with an order I placed for its confirmation to see if it was legit and he called me back as soon as I left a voicemail.Thank you!

Small venue with solid shows and decent bar prices.

A great rock club... some of the best shows I have ever seen in an intimate environment.

Cant wait to go back got tickets for great show in September

Because I know hip hop better than any man.

Great Shows in the 80s and Best Vegetarian Sandwiches. RIP Randall Kane.

Time of operation is wrong.

So santa cruz.. so so of a venue.. but if you want to see shows you will be here

Great venue with a variety of spaces, full up with kink equipment.

Ive enjoyed many shows here ranging from tech n9ne to suicidal tendencies and gwar!

The line ups are bad and the owner should feel bad. Quit being cheap and give the people what they want, what they need, what they live for!

Wanna get kicked out go here.i will never go back .

Awesome upstairs bar with free pool. Usually no one up there.

Can get really close to the stage to see the bans.

Fun Venue, great show on Halloween, good bar service!

Historic venue in Santa Cruz!! I got to see the Expendables live here!!

Great venue for seeing live bands and DJs.

The spot. Super legit. Pull up if youre a real one.

Fun place but careful about sell out shows.

A great small venue for watching live music.

Good shows, small so you can get close to the action.

Just saw Devil Makes 3!! Awesome show, small venue!!!

Lots of booze available but you cant take it anywhere near the stage.

They kick people out while artists are still performing on stage

Worst in Santa Cruz.. moe’s ally is the place.. this isn’t place you wanna be if you wanna have a good time

I went dancing here on ladies night only costs $1.00 for a drink!!

Berner was amazing. Will be coming back for years to come.