Charming historical music venue full of character with old wooden floors and a balcony area. I attended a HIRIE Concert at the Catalyst.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 3
Jenny Santana
Went to a concert here and it was lots of fun!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Jason Blackmore
A great place to watch live music. There are two rooms and can have a variety of music to choose from on any given night
Ezra Thaler
The venue is nice but the staff are really rude and frequently yell at guest and have stupid policies like a $10 minimum on water purchases so you have to use there atm which charges high fees
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
True Believer
Ella, was extremely helpful with my tickets since my phone was dead. Also seeing a gal wearing a Yankees hat is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
RitaMay M.
The staff were all nice hence the two stars instead of one, but this place is way too hot to the point of being hazardous. They need some fans and ventilation. I saw another review talking about people fainting, and can confirm that. Sorry to say that I wouldn't be back even if my favorite artists were playing here.
Junior
I've caught countless shows here. This is undoubtedly one of my most favorite venues in all of California.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
C
great venue. perfect size
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Octopus “Razzmatazz Snowflake” Wiggle
Not only are the bouncers disrespectful, they let in underage men who shouldn’t even be there and let them beat on women, watch them punch a girl in the face then kick her out instead when he delivered an obviously twisted account of the situation while multiple witnesses observed. Should be ashamed fr.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Keith Dilliplane
This place is hip, chill, and they have some good music come through.
Classic venue. Enoughs space to move around. Upstairs is great if you are there early.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
lukaka lu
The band that played was amazing! This place has poor ventilation and was very crowded. Many people in the crowd kept fainting. It’s a hazard for real.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Steve Hindman
We went to the Glass Beams show in mid-Aug 2025. The doors opened an hour late, no explanation given. The bands started an hour late and the place was packed. The place got super hot and the AC didn’t get turned on until people were near passing out. People were smoking right outside the front door and the smoke was wafting in, making the front of the venue smell like a smokey bathroom from the 70s. The upstairs standing areas were like humid weed hotboxes.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 5
Robert Wilson
A great venue with a variety of shows for any taste in music. There are two rooms, and both are unique. You can get close to the stage and enjoy your favorite artists seemingly an arms distance away. While the venue is fun and intimate, I would suggest bringing headphones, and you can use them if you want. They do not have any at the venue itself (even for sale) which threw me off. However, the reason you need them is because they've packed a ton of speakers into the rooms which makes for a good listening experience, it can just be a bit loud at times.
I'm sad to hear the venue is going up for sale, and I hope the next owner keeps the Catalyst going as is, and continues it's legacy in Santa Cruz.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Carl Coates
Went there for a general admission concert for mom jeans. Facilities were great everyone had a great view of the stage and alcohol was served in glass which is very classy for a concert!
Charming historical music venue full of character with old wooden floors and a balcony area. I attended a HIRIE Concert at the Catalyst.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 3
Went to a concert here and it was lots of fun!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
A great place to watch live music. There are two rooms and can have a variety of music to choose from on any given night
The venue is nice but the staff are really rude and frequently yell at guest and have stupid policies like a $10 minimum on water purchases so you have to use there atm which charges high fees
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
Ella, was extremely helpful with my tickets since my phone was dead. Also seeing a gal wearing a Yankees hat is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
The staff were all nice hence the two stars instead of one, but this place is way too hot to the point of being hazardous. They need some fans and ventilation. I saw another review talking about people fainting, and can confirm that. Sorry to say that I wouldn't be back even if my favorite artists were playing here.
I've caught countless shows here. This is undoubtedly one of my most favorite venues in all of California.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
great venue. perfect size
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Not only are the bouncers disrespectful, they let in underage men who shouldn’t even be there and let them beat on women, watch them punch a girl in the face then kick her out instead when he delivered an obviously twisted account of the situation while multiple witnesses observed. Should be ashamed fr.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
This place is hip, chill, and they have some good music come through.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Classic venue. Enoughs space to move around. Upstairs is great if you are there early.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The band that played was amazing! This place has poor ventilation and was very crowded. Many people in the crowd kept fainting. It’s a hazard for real.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
We went to the Glass Beams show in mid-Aug 2025. The doors opened an hour late, no explanation given. The bands started an hour late and the place was packed. The place got super hot and the AC didn’t get turned on until people were near passing out. People were smoking right outside the front door and the smoke was wafting in, making the front of the venue smell like a smokey bathroom from the 70s. The upstairs standing areas were like humid weed hotboxes.
Atmosphere: 3
Service: 5
A great venue with a variety of shows for any taste in music. There are two rooms, and both are unique. You can get close to the stage and enjoy your favorite artists seemingly an arms distance away. While the venue is fun and intimate, I would suggest bringing headphones, and you can use them if you want. They do not have any at the venue itself (even for sale) which threw me off. However, the reason you need them is because they've packed a ton of speakers into the rooms which makes for a good listening experience, it can just be a bit loud at times.
I'm sad to hear the venue is going up for sale, and I hope the next owner keeps the Catalyst going as is, and continues it's legacy in Santa Cruz.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Went there for a general admission concert for mom jeans. Facilities were great everyone had a great view of the stage and alcohol was served in glass which is very classy for a concert!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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