Events
Events
Vai Academy 4 Guitar Camp
Bananas at Large will be showcasing great brands and products at Vai Academy 4 on January 3-7, 2018 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Palm Springs, California. UNLOCKING THE MYSTERY OF MUSIC THEORY & TECHNIQUE4 days and nights of non-stop guitar STEVE VAIFeaturing special guests: Steve Morse, Yngwie Malmsteen, St. Vincent and more! January 3-7, 2018 Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs, Palm Springs, California Vai Academy is a 4 day event for players and music-lovers of all ages, levels, interests, and taste! Whether you are a master player, a beginner, or just an enthusiastic fan. These four-day programs offer activities and workshops for you. More information
G3 NorCal Fire Relief Concert & Auction - 1/14/18
Bananas at Large is participating in the Joe Satriani G3 fundraiser concert this Sunday, January 14 2018, at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California. The concert will feature Joe Satriani, Phil Collin of Def Leppard and John Petrucci of Dream Theater. They will each play a solo set and then a final jam with Very Special Guest Neal Schon of Journey. Our own Alan Rosen will be there as the MC and product specialist. There are still a few tickets left for the concert but if you can't make it, you can still bid on the auction items. The concert is a fundraiser for Fire Victims of California fires. UndocuFund is a charity helping those people who can’t get relief funds but who have suffered devastating loss. Redwood Credit Union Fire Relief Fund is another beneficiary of the event. Read more about this organization here. There will be some amazing items up for auction autographed by artists: Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Phil Collen, Neal Schon, Carlos Santana, Huey Lewis, Bill Gibson, and more. Bidding ends Sunday, 01/21/2018. Check out the auctioned items and thank you for supporting this great event and great cause!
BANANAS AT LARGE X FENDER GRAND OPENING - 5/15/18
JOIN US TO CELEBRATE THE BANANAS AT LARGE X FENDER SHOP IN SHOP GRAND OPENING Please join us for an exclusive event as we unveil Fender’s new retail experience at Bananas at Large in Santa Rosa. Officially launched at Winter NAMM in January 2018, the retail space is the first of its kind for Fender and for Bananas at Large. The space is designed as a destination point for players of all levels to freely choose their next Fender guitar, it sparks endless creativity and invites everyone to pick up a product and play. We would love for you to see one of the first Fender shop in shop’s at an exclusive celebration in Santa Rosa at Bananas at Large. Celebration details include: • Receive a custom embroidered guitar strap for the first 25 attendees. • Demo diverse product offerings only from Fender. • Experience the Fender Play digital learning platform. • Enter for your chance to win an American Professional guitar, concert tickets, signed gear and more. • Enjoy catering from Santa Rosa’s own Rosso Pizzeria. • In-store performance and meet and greet pop punk band, The Story So Far. Tuesday, May 15th from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Bananas At Large 531 College AveSanta Rosa, CA 95404 Facebook Event Let us know you're coming and we'll save you a seat!
Metallica's Day of Service - 5/23/18
Hero of the Day The San Francisco-Marin Food Bank is so excited to host Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation and their very first day of service, May 23rd. Help end hunger by volunteering at food banks across the nation. Sign up to win a volunteer spot! Enter to win a volunteer spot At the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, Metallica’s charitable foundation will host a two-hour volunteer shift, May 23rd, 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. They have room for 65 volunteers. The first 40 people to sign up are guaranteed a spot, they will raffle off the last 25. Register today to be one of the lucky winners that will receive a ticket to join this volunteer event. The winners will volunteer at their San Francisco warehouse, where they will pack and sort fresh produce while rockin’ out to Metallica. Every volunteer who participates will also receive a free commemorative t-shirt as a thank you from the band. Here are the rules: Sign up to enter the raffle for a spot. Only one entry per person. You must be at least 11 years old to enter. Raffle entry deadline is May 7. They’ll let you know by May 9, via email, if you have won one of the 65 spots. Visit the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank website for up-to-date information and to sign up to win a volunteer spot!
Greg Koch Clinic - 11/30/17
Fishman Presents: Greg Koch Acoustic & Electric Guitar Products Clinic Thursday, November 30th from 4-6pm Bananas At Large531 College AveSanta Rosa, CA 95404 Fishman signature artist and clinician Greg Koch will host a clinic covering Fishman acoustic amplification products and Fluence Multi-Voice pickups for electric guitar. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness the Gristleman’s unparalleled guitar playing and unique brand of humor. WHO IS GREG KOCH? An unsung guitar hero from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he grew up just a few miles from the Waukesha birthplace of the late, great guitarist-inventor Les Paul, Greg Koch has established himself within six-string circles as a masterful technician, accomplished clinician (for Fender) and general bad-ass guit-picker. No less than guitar virtuoso Steve Vai noted Koch’s six-string prowess and promptly signed him to his Favored Nations label in 2001. Tom Wheeler from Guitar Player magazine hailed him as “fiendishly talented” while other critics have called him everything from “a twisted guitar genius” to “the best kept secret in the guitar firmament.” On From The Attic, his 12th release overall as a leader and third for Germany’s ZYX/Peppercake label, the veteran guitar virtuoso joins bassist Tom Good and drummer Del Bennett for an eclectic, hard-hitting program full of incendiary licks and audacious fretboard tricks. Recorded remarkably quickly (“We did the ten tracks in roughly 11 hours,” Koch explains) in the attic of guitarist-engineer Chris Hanson’s Victorian home on Milwaukee’s East Side, these rockin’, bluesy originals are imbued with Koch’s trademark searing licks and typically clever lyrics. From the blistering, Magic Sam-inspired boogie “Leg Up Foot Out” to the urgent blues inflected “Nova Scotia Cold,” from the elegant fingerstyle instrumental ballad “Sleep Tight” to the wild chicken-picking romp “Picked On,” Koch and his crew wail with uncanny tightness and authority. “Trouble” is a growling funk-blues number written about Koch’s first encounter with his wife-to-be (“Her middle name was trouble, her last name is mine”) while “Agree To Disagree” addresses the guitarist’s ongoing conflict with the staunch point’s of view of loved ones. “Here We Go Again” is a rich, R&B flavored ballad featuring some lyrical, legato guitar work by Koch and the aggressively funky “Happy Versus Right” recalls classic Red Hot Chili Peppers slamming down a thick groove. Koch flaunts some wicked wahwah-inflected slide guitar licks on the mellow “Twice the Man” and they close out the collection with the anthemic, classic rock jam “You’ll Rock and Like It,” which sounds like an encounter between Jeff Beck and AC/DC.” “The whole gist of this record is kind of where I started from in my career,” says Koch of From The Attic. “It’s basically tunes with cool guitar things. And I find that if you can have nice little blasts within the confines of a short tune, it’s much more digestible.” And though Koch may be consciously trying to simplify his six-string onslaught on this trio recording, his natural fretboard fusillades ultimately come to the fore. In its 2001 feature story, Guitar Player magazine described Koch’s inherently pyrotechnic approach this way: “An impossible stream of riffs jumps off of Koch’s fretboard like clowns spilling out of a VW bug – and when you’re convinced that there can be no more, out pops another one.” Born in Milwaukee in 1966, Koch got his earliest musical influences from his older brother and later became infatuated with Jimi Hendrix, who remains a profound influence to this day. After studying jazz guitar for four years at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Koch won 1st Prize in the 1989 Bluesbreaker Guitar Showdown judged by legendary bluesman Buddy Guy. Shortly after, he formed Greg Koch and the Tone Controls, which became one of the more popular acts of the region. The band went on to win five Wisconsin Area Music Awards for Blues Artist of the Year (‘93, ‘95 through ‘98), and Koch personally took in seven WAMA awards as Guitarist of the Year (‘92, ‘94 through ‘99). Koch soon found himself as a clinician for Fender, the world’s largest and most prestigious guitar and amplifier manufacturer. Bringing together world-class chops and a humorous ability to articulate sounds and techniques with a genuine devotion to all things guitar, Koch has developed an exceptionally effective approach to conducting guitar clinics. Greg’s relationship with music publishing giant, the Hal Leonard Corporation, has also resulted in a string of top-selling guitar method books, including “Guitar Clues: Operation Pentatonic,” “Lead Licks,” “Rhythm Riffs” and Koch’s popular Hal Leonard instructional DVDs – two on the style of Stevie Ray Vaughan (approved by Jimmie Vaughan), one on Lynyrd Skynyrd, another celebrating revered blues stylists like Albert King, Albert Collins, Elmore James and Guitar Slim and one on his own twisted take on guitar called “Guitar Gristle” – have revolutionized video guitar instruction with a combination of humor, effective instruction and inspiring musical performances into a package that can only be described as “edu-tainment.” In his self-penned liner notes to his 2001 recording, The Grip, Koch described his guitaristic approach as “Chet Hendrix meeting the Kings (BB, Albert and Freddie) at the first annual Zeppelin-Holdsworth Coffee Guzzlers Hoedown.” He would subsequently showcase his over-the-top chops and wicked sense of humor on 2003’s Radio Free Gristle, 2004’s 13 x 12, 2005’s 4 Days In the South and 2007’s Live on WMSE, which showcases his fiery fretboard work in the company of bassist Roscoe Beck (longtime sideman to guitarists Robben Ford and Eric Johnson), drummer Tom Brechtlein (a former member of Ford’s Blueline band and a frequent collaborator with Chick Corea) and the charismatic Austin-based soul singer Malford Milligan (formerly the frontman for Storyville and Double Trouble). Last year’s Nation Sack had Koch teaming with Milligan and his current rhythm tandem of Good and Bennett for a collection of Koch originals (including some co-penned with Milligan) along with a cover of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy.” Koch continues to channel all the right people on his most recent collection of blues, funk and R&B, including Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, Albert Collins, Jeff Beck and Roy Buchanan with touches of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Danny Gatton and Richie Blackmore thrown in for good measure. And he filters all those killer influences through his own slightly bent prism that is tinted with grunge, gristle and good clean fun. Thursday, November 30th from 4-6pm Bananas At Large531 College AveSanta Rosa, CA 95404 RSVP on Facebook!
Bananas presents: Pedal Day at Bandworks - 11/11/17
Saturday, November 11 at 1:00pm - 4:00PM Ever wanted to learn more about Effects Pedals for guitar and bass? Want a chance to plug in and test drive some different effects combinations and get inspired with your sound? Now is your chance! Bananas At Large & Bandworks San Rafael have partnered up to offer and open studio Pedal Day so you can get your hands on the most popular pedal effects and try them for yourself! 1:00pm - Pedal Presentation Want to find out more about why your favorite guitar and bass players use different pedals to get their "perfect" tone? Let us show you how they do it! 1:30 - 4:00pm - Open Studio for Pedal Test Drives We will have a large assortment of popular effects pedals available for you to plug in and try right here! Feel free to bring your favorite guitar or bass to plug in or borrow one that will be on hand. If you find one you love, there will be a special coupon for attendees to use for purchase at Bananas At Large! RSVP Here for the Event Bandworks @ Sunnbolt Studios150 Mitchell Blvd. Suite 260San Rafael, CA 94903 Check out more about Bandworks here. Shop all effects pedals here.
Bass Licks & Grooves : Led Zeppelin 3/24/18
Ever wanted to learn how to play all those amazing Bass licks and grooves from your favorite Led Zeppelin songs? Want to get some step by step instruction on how to master it? Join us for a Bass Licks & Grooves class that will take you step by step through some of the most popular bass licks & grooves from the Led Zeppelin songs you know and love! Angeline Saris, one of our very own bass teachers, is the Bass player for Zepparella, the all-girl Led Zeppelin cover band taking the U.S. by storm will be walking you through the most popular bass licks and grooves as well as examining their use of odd time & application of scales in each riff and walking bass lines. Something to learn for bass players of all levels! This class is aimed at players of all levels. For children 13yo+ and adults. Don't wait: space is limited and will fill up fast! Sign up today to reserve your seat. Pre-registration is required. Saturday, March 24th from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM $35 per personBananas At Large1504 4th StSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event! Sign up Here to Reserve your seat!
PRS Women in Rock Clinic & Guitar Showcase - 11/18/17
Saturday, November 18 at 1:30pm - 5:30PM Bananas at Large1504 4th StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901 1:30pm - PRS Guitar Showcase 4:30pm - PRS Presents: Women in Rock FREE Clinic Join us on November 18th for the Women in Rock Clinic featuring PRS artist Roni Lee & PRS Guitar Showcase! We start off the event with the PRS Guitar Showcase at 1:30pm with Brand representative James Fox who has hand selected specific PRS guitars and amps for you to plug into and answer all your questions. The showcase will be followed up by the Women In Rock FREE Clinic at 4:30 featuring PRS artist Roni Lee and guest, Teresa Topaz. $1 Raffle Tickets Available at the Event: Grand Prize: Daisy Rock Guitar signed by Roni Lee & Teresa Topaz w/ bag & accessories2nd Prize: Reunion Blues Guitar stand & strap3rd Prize: Signed Poster of the Event4th Prize: Pig Hog guitar cables pack We will also have lots of giveaways for those in attendance! There will also be the Women in Rock live concert featuring Roni Lee & Teresa Topaz the night prior November 17th 8:30pm at Georges nightclub on 4th Street sponsored by PRS Guitars, Pig Hog Cables & Reunion Blues. Check out more details on the concert Here. RONI LEE Roni Lee is the founder of Play Like A Girl Record's, & the original guitarist for the LA Punk band, Venus and the Razorblades. "I Want to Be Where The Boys Are" was written by Roni Lee and Kim Fowley (Venus and the Razorblades) which became a staple in the Runaways (Lita Ford, Joan Jet) live set, achieving a GOLD Record in 1977. Her current original Rock project includes backup musicians that are over the top talented and amazing in their own right. Roni tours from the West Coast to overseas to entertain and Rock the world. TERESA TOPAZ Teresa Topaz is a Blues Rock performing & recording artist, composer and record producer. Voter nominated by the Willamette Week's Best of Portland Top 5 Best Blues Artist, named the "Guitar Goddess" by the Portland Tribune and Blues Rock Queen by J-Media Music Group. Topaz is officially endorsed by Zemaitis Guitars, Pig Hog Cables, Reunion Blues, The Rock Slide, Shubb Capos & Nady Wireless. With her latest album 'Reset me' , Topaz composed, performed and produced all instruments with the exception of Mr. Keith Waters on bass guitar. Topaz's powerful vocal range meshes with a bluesy country grit shaping a rare temperament. "Driving Me Crazy", a popular single off the album, was featured at the Trail Blazers half time show at the Moda center as well as televised on CSN NWHD. "Aquarians" is gaining momentum as a Cinematic Rock Epic and Topaz's Blues Rock rendition of 'Fever' has made its way across National and International airwaves. Share the event on Facebook. Shop all PRS guitars
Group Beginning Guitar Series - Starts 1/11/18
Bananas At Large knows how important it is to get started on the right foot when you pick up the guitar. We are now offering our first Group Guitar Series, a 6 week series, that will get you started and get you rocking! Bring your guitar with you or borrow one of ours for the first class if you haven't purchased one yet! You will have an opportunity to browse and shop after the class. All students will need to have their own instrument for home practice use. Acoustic or Electric guitars welcome. Dates: Weekly on Thursdays starting 1/11/18Time: 5:00 - 5:45pm Place: Bananas at Large, 1504 4th Street, San Rafael Cost: $150 for the 6 week series - Preregister to save your spot!Books will be required to purchase at the first class. Copies will be available in class. What class will cover & teach you: Tuning your guitar Proper Posture & Hand Technique Holding a Pick Looking at TAB Music Reading notes Your first Guitar chord Beginning Strumming Your first songs! Pre-Register Here - Limited Space! Pre-registration is required. Class limited to 6 students. Bananas At Large1504 4th StSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event!
Heritage Guitar Inc. Clinic Featuring Mimi Fox – 11/4/17
100 Years of Tone & Timbre Heritage Guitars' Gregg De Lorto will join Bananas at Large in San Rafael on Saturday, November 4th for an exciting event featuring Mimi Fox! GREGG DE LORTO Gregg shares his knowledge, experience and passion for the guitars built at the iconic 100 year young Kalamazoo factory at 225 Parsons Street. These guitars are crafted with tone & timbre and sought after by musicians of all levels. Not only does he represent Heritage Guitar Inc., he began playing professionally in 1964, and after picking up his first Parsons Street guitar in 1965, there were no others. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, he went on to represent Gibson Guitar. Proudly he remained true to his passion for the 225 Parsons Street crafted guitars, and has played and represented Heritage Guitar Inc. from its 1985 inception. His keen mastery and knowledge of the elements and nuances of today’s Heritage full guitar line, he speaks to all genres of music and players for the must have guitar they have searched for and/or desired, whether it is a solid and semi-solid body, thinline, carved top hollow body, or the flagship “Golden Eagle.” MIMI FOX Heritage Guitar is proud of premier artist, jazz guitarist extraordinaire, Mimi Fox. She is an internationally renowned guitarist/composer/recording artist/educator with a plethora of accolades to her credit including being named a winner in 6 consecutive DownBeat Magazine critics polls. She has played with an impressive lineup of today’s top artists including Branford Marsalis, Joey De Francesco, and Diana Krall among countless others. Most recently she has recorded with the San Francisco String Trio. Their CD scheduled for release September 8th, is a tribute to the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper Album from 50 years ago - unlike any other tribute offered to The Fab Four. She speaks eloquently about her decades relationship with Heritage Guitar Inc. and her much loved Road Warrior. However, you will see and hear her play standards with twists and her unique flavor, including a sneak preview of tunes from the newest CD – all on her Heritage Signature Model, “The Fox.” Saturday, November 4 at 2:00pm Bananas at Large1504 4th StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event RSVP Online Shop all Heritage guitars here.
Taylor Road Show - 9/14/17
Guitar talk and demos with Taylor factory staff from El Cajon, California Experience the new Academy Series & GS Mini Bass Test-drive Taylor's latest guitar models Consult with Taylor's experts to find the perfect guitar Special Road Show pricing on Taylor models Free TaylorWare gear and Anti-Rust Elixir (while supplies last) Thursday, September 14 at 6:30pm Bananas at Large531 College Ave.Santa Rosa, CA 95404 Facebook Event! RSVP Online! Shop all Taylor guitars here.
Bass Licks & Grooves: 12 Bar Blues - 6/2/18
Ever wanted to learn how to play a 12 Bar Blues Bass Line? Want to get some step by step instruction? Join us for a Bass Licks & Grooves class that will take you step-by-step through writing your own Blues bass lines. The Blues was born in the rural south of America and has shaped the very sound and nature of rock, funk and jazz. Bass players of all levels are welcome! In this 90 minute workshop, the focus will be to 1) learn some of the most famous blues bass lines written, and 2) learn to craft your own blues bass lines. The class will be led by Angeline Saris, one of our very own teachers. As with any of Angeline’s clinics, the #1 goal is to have fun! For children 12yo+ and adults. Don't wait: space is limited and will fill up fast! Sign up today to reserve your seat. Pre-registration is required. Saturday, June 2nd from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM $35 per personBananas At Large1504 4th StSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event! Sign up Here to Reserve your seat! Angeline now works as a full-time freelance bassist touring for a number of bands, doing session work and releasing music for her solo projects. Playing in groups whose stylistic range include rock, jazz, funk, R&B, Cuban, metal, flamenco, hip-hop and rockabilly has made her one of the busiest bassists in the SF Bay. She currently plays mostly with Narada Michael Walden, Ernest Ranglin, Zepparella and has even had the opportunity to share the stage with Carlos Santana, Steve Morse and Richie Sambora. She tours regularly and can be seen playing out live almost every weekend in venues across the US and the world. Angeline is proudly endorsed by Fender, GHS Strings, MONO cases, West Coast Pedal Boards, Warwick, Marleaux Basses and Harman pedals. To learn more, please visit her website at: www.angelinesaris.com. **photo by Matt Granz
