The Catalyst Film is a historical documentary showcasing 40 years of extraordinary music at the venue known as ‘The Catalyst’ in Santa Cruz, California. From its incarnation beginning in the early 1960’s as a bohemian coffee house to the present day as a world renowned music venue .
The Catalyst Films’ unique point of view is an ‘all access pass’ behind the scenes of a venue heard from the musicians that graced its stage, to the untold tales of backstage and insights from the Catalyst crew that was to become the legacy of the Catalyst.
The Catalyst served as a jumping off point and reoccurring touchstone in the careers of generations of musicians worldwide for decades and continues to thrive today. The film includes interviews or performances by bands such as Nirvana, Tina Turner, Billy Idol, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Doobie Brothers, Neil Young, Green Day, Greg Kihn, The Starship, Huey Lewis and the News, SNAIL, The Humans, Tech9, Ry Cooder, The Tubes and so many more.
The film pulls back the curtin and spotlights the inside track from Randall P. Kane, owner of The Catalyst. Renowned rock musician, radio personality, Greg Kihn is your host throughout the film sharing his perspective and backstage experiences that only a ‘rocker’ could live to tell.
What sets The Catalyst apart from the rest of the venues around our globe? Simply put…the magic lies in its power of place, historic musical one of kind moments, and its unique accolades anchoring it in the history of music.
This is not a journey of where are these bands today…but rather an insider’s view to what makes an iconic venue.
The Catalyst Film Trailer
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In The News
The Santa Cruz Sentinel:
Michele Benson’s camera has captured the greats at the Catalyst for three decades
Step into the Catalyst in downtown Santa Cruz, walk a few paces straight ahead and look to the top of the stairs leading up to the game room. There she is, the magnificent Miss Tina and those iconic legs, in a life-size photo that seems to be drawn directly from the Baby Boomer collective unconscious.
What The Catalyst means to Santa Cruz’s music scene, its culture and its sense of itself
Come with me back in time to the mid-1990s. Yes, I have a mullet, and yes, there’s a single stud earring in my left ear. A lot of guys looked like me then. Don’t judge. I’m taking a lunch-break stroll on a sunny weekday down Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz, a respite from my duties as the entertainment reporter and editor for the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
KSBW NEWS:
Santa Cruz’s The Catalyst
may be demolished
for new apartment complex
The Catalyst, a well-known music venue in downtown Santa Cruz, could be demolished to make way for a seven-story apartment complex proposed by GPR Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based real estate investment firm.