Events
Events
Make Music Day - String Together at Bananas at Large - 6/20/26
Bananas is excited to participate in Make Music Day, a National effort to encourage making music in our communities! Do you play guitar? One of the best and easiest ways to improve the sound of your guitar is putting on a fresh set of strings! Come to the store closest to you on Make Music Day, June 20th, at 2PM and attend a free string-changing demonstration at 2pm! The first 12 participants will receive a free set of acoustic guitar strings from Elixir Strings! All are welcome, from complete newbies who have never changed their strings, to more experienced players looking for a few tips from a pro guitar tech. RSVP for San Rafael - 2pm RSVP for Santa Rosa - 2pm
Loop Station Live with John Allen
April 18th at Bananas at Large San Rafael! Unlock your creativity and elevate your live performance with a BOSS Loop Station at the Loop Station Live! This live demo features professional musician John Allen demoing the RC-505MKII. Score big with raffle prizes and exclusive event-only deals on all Roland and BOSS gear! We’ll also have Aaron Marino & Austin Sandick from BOSS all day demoing BOSS products, such as the GM-800, VG-800, and many more awesome new BOSS products. RSVP today for your chance to win BOSS prizes! RSVP!
🎶 This Friday, July 18th: Rival Plague Takes Over Bananas San Rafael! 🎶
Local band and Bananas at Large family Rival Plague is taking over our San Rafael location! Distorted guitars, heavy rock, and soaring melodies will be heard from our store’s front porch, and this punk rock quartet is guaranteed to keep your foot tapping. Rival Plague’s Bandcamp reads: “Hard rock from California's North Bay, combining elements of Gilman's ska punk scene, riff-based classic rock and '90s alternative.” This roughly translates to: one heckuva fun time. 🤘🎸 Our San Rafael shop is located at 1654 2nd Street, music starts at 6PM, and it’s an all-ages event. Limited seating will be available, so bring a camping chair if you’d like to sit down. See you there, San Rafael!
Sponsored by Bananas: Celebrate Occidental! Benefit Concert June 8 🎶
Get ready, Occidental! The Inn at Occidental is thrilled to kick off their 2nd annual Sunset Concert Series with a special Benefit Concert for the Occidental Community Council on June 8!
Yamaha MODX Synth Clinic - 11/7/19 - Past Event
Want to empower your creativity and stand out from the crowd? Learn how with Yamaha's newest Synthesizers! Drop in anytime between 3pm to 6pm and join Yamaha's product specialist Blake Angelos as he shows you how to utilize the Yamaha synthesizers to take back your sounds! He will be giving musical performances and presentations focused on the latest and greatest updates to MONTAGE, MODX and CP73/88. A brand new Pattern Sequencer, new sound shaping tools and new sounds are just a few of the cool upgrades you’ll see! In addition he’ll talk about the 45th Anniversary of Yamaha Synthesizers and the recent live stream event in Japan.Check out our available Synthesizers and see what amazing things are available!Yamaha Synthesizer Product Specialist Blake Angelos has over thirty years of experience with music hardware and software. An expert in music technology, Blake has conducted numerous clinics, master classes and presentations throughout the United States, Europe and Canada. Before his work with Yamaha, he taught music theory and jazz studies courses at Arizona State University; managed a technology- focused music store in Seattle and was a production supervisor at Microsoft, where he led a team that developed groundbreaking interactive music content for the Microsoft Network. Blake holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Northern Colorado and a Masters of Music degree from Arizona State University. Blake currently resides in Bellingham, Washington with his family, and between his travels around the country for Yamaha, he performs as much as possible with several jazz and creative music groups in Bellingham, Seattle and other places in the Pacific Northwest. For children 12yo+ and adults. Thursday, November 7th 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM FREEBananas At Large1654 2nd StSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event!
Boutique Guitar Showcase - 9/14/19 - Past Event
A curated collection of unique, World Class guitars is coming to Bananas on Saturday, September 14th. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some of the most interesting guitars from the most elite builders, and Bananas at Large is the only place in Northern California to have them. See some of the most creative and most beautiful instruments on display and available for purchase. One day only, this experience will be one to remember. Click here for a sneak peek of the guitars! Watch the video from last year's event at our old location! Sat., September 14th - 1:00pm to 5:00pm Bananas at Large1654 2nd StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901 See guitars made by elite builders you can find nowhere else! Check back for more details - you don't want to miss this! RSVP below and share this event on Facebook! If you haven't been to our new store location, stop by 1654 2nd Street in San Rafael! We're open Monday-Friday, 10am-6:30pm, and Saturday & Sunday, 10am to 6pm.
Paoletti Guitars presents Richard Fortus - Past Event
JOIN US FOR AN EXCITING PERFORMANCE AND MEET & GREET! Richard Fortus, guitarist of Gun N' Roses, will make a special in-store appearance for a meet-and-greet at Bananas at Large on Saturday, June 22 at 3pm. He will be showing off his Paoletti Richard Fortus signature model guitar, as well as sharing a few stories from his varied career. Richard has played with everyone from Enrique Iglesias, Rihanna and N’Sync to Thin Lizzy, The Psychedelic Furs and The Crystal Method. He has been with Guns N’ Roses for the last 18 years and is presently on a break from the current “Not In This Lifetime” tour (one of the highest grossing tours in history). Paoletti Guitars are handmade in Tuscany, Italy, using chestnut wood reclaimed from 130 to 150-year-old wine barrels, the effect being layers of tone and sustain that feed a guitarist's sound. Richard's signature model features a black croc pattern Italian leather top, roasted curly maple neck, aged pickguard and handmade pickups. www.richardfortus.comwww.paolettiguitars.com Shop all Paoletti Guitars here. Saturday, June 22nd from 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Bananas At Large 1654 2nd StSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event
Earth Day Event : String Recycling Event - Past Event
Recycle your old strings & get a new set for FREE! Did you know that musical instrument strings are not recycled through municipal recycling programs? It is estimated that more than 1.5 million lbs. of instrument string metal could be put into landfill every year. D’Addario has teamed up with the global recycling organization TerraCycle to create Playback, a safe and independent way to recycle and upcycle instrument strings. Your contribution of used guitar, bass, or ukulele strings qualifies you for a FREE set of D’Addario NYXL electric guitar or Nickel Bronze Acoustic guitar strings. Limited quantities available, so first come - first served! Restring service available at San Rafael store only - $30 and up. Consult with our in-house repair tech on your instrument needs and questions No purchase necessary!Click here for more information about the D'Addario Playback Program San Rafael : Monday, April 22, 2019 from 2:00pm - 6:00pm Bananas at Large1654 2nd StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901 Santa Rosa : Monday, April 22, 2019 from 2:00pm - 5:00pm Bananas at Large531 College Ave.Santa Rosa, CA 95404 Facebook Event! San Rafael Facebook Event! Santa Rosa
Guitar Chords Clinic - Past Event
Ever wanted to learn how to play more guitar chords and improve the versatility and flexibility of your playing? Join us for a Guitar Chords class that will take you step-by-step through different chords and how to interchange them on the neck of the guitar to increase your versatility and flexibility in playing. Tim will take you through the most common chord shapes and teach you how to easily change from one shape to another. For children 12yo+ and adults, beginners to intermediate players. Don't wait: space is limited and will fill up fast! Sign up today to reserve your seat. Pre-registration is required. Saturday, October 20th 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! Tim Cleary is a guitar teacher at Bananas at Large San Rafael. See his bio here.
Boutique Guitar Showcase - Past Event
A curated collection of unique, World Class guitars is coming to Bananas on Wednesday, October 17th. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some of the most interesting guitars from the most elite builders, and Bananas at Large is the only place in Northern California to have them. See some of the most creative and most beautiful instruments on display and available for purchase. One day only, this experience will be one to remember. Wednesday, October 17th at 3:00pm Bananas at Large1504 4th StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901 See Guitars made by: Adamovic Basses Ava Guitars Balwinski Guitars Di Donato Guitars Boswell Guitars Diego Vila Guitars Dingwall Guitars McGreevy Guitars Ivanov Guitars Donovan Leah Guitars Ergon Guitars Galloup Guitars GNG - Giulio Negrini Guitars Harden Engineering Hilko Guitars JJ Guitars Kauer Guitar Kauffman Guitars Klein Guitars Lamehorse Instruments MarconiLAB Maxwell Custom Guitars O3 Custom Guitars Parsons Guitars Sankey Guitars Shabat Guitars Skytop Guitars Soultool Customized Guitars Spalt Instruments Tausch Guitars Teuffel Guitars Tim Bram Handmade Guitars Robbins Guitars Verdinero Guitars Wild Customs Wide Sky Guitars RSVP below and share this event on Facebook! McSwain Guitars McSwain, "Red White & Bullets" Spalt Instruments, "Pierrot's Nightmare" Wild Custom Guitars, "Baroness Steampunk II"
Intro to Lead Guitar Clinic - Past Event
Ready to learn how to play Lead Guitar?Want to expand your lead playing vocabulary? Join Josh Zee for a Lead Guitar class that will take you through the basics of playing lead guitar! If you were playing a song with someone and they told you to take a solo, would you know what to do?…learn to confidently know right where to go, and more, in this clinic! We will cover the relationship between scales, chords and keys and show you how to start improvising right away! This is an intermediate level clinic…you must know your basic chords and be comfortable playing rhythm guitar. Feel free to bring your electric guitar with you but no amps or acoustic guitars, please. For children 12yo+ and adults - Intermediate level, basic knowledge of chords and rhythm guitar needed. Don't wait: space is limited and will fill up fast! Sign up today to reserve your seat. Pre-registration is required. Saturday, Sept. 22nd 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! Josh Zee, a teacher here at Bananas, has been playing for over thirty years, is a major label recording artist, session player, touring musician and has been teaching for over 15 years. "You may recognize Josh from such bands as Protein, the Mother Truckers, the South Austin Moonlighters, or his current blues band, Mojo Rising. If you do, you know him to be the countrified blues rock god who combines Van Halen swagger with B.B. King soul. His greatest gift seems to be playing fresh licks over seemingly run-of-the-mill changes." Check out this great article from Guitar Player featuring a breakdown of Josh's signature playing. Josh has recorded 2 major label records on the SONY/Work label as the singer/guitarist and songwriter for the Rock group "Protein". They toured extensively throughout the U.S. on "The Warped Tour" and also toured Europe and Japan as part of MTV Asia Summer Fest. Josh’s next original band, "the Mother Truckers", has released 4 albums, toured all over the country and Europe, and have played along side such acts as Willie Nelson, Hank Williams 3, The Old 97’s, The Avett Brothers, the Supersuckers and many more. He also currently plays with The Whiskey Sisters and Mojo Rising, just to name a few. Josh has been written up in many national publications including frequent features in Guitar Player Magazine. Josh has many production and arrangement credits on the albums of other artists as well.
Bass Licks & Grooves: Best Basslines of Funk & Motown - Past Event
Ever wanted to learn how to play your favorite Funk & Motown Licks? Want to get some step by step instruction? THIS CLASS IS NOW FULL & NOT ACCEPTING ANY MORE STUDENTS. If you are interested in future clinics or private lessons with Angeline, please email lessons@bananas.com and we can notify you of future events or help schedule lessons. Thank you! With more than 180 #1 hit songs worldwide, the music of Motown has shaped the history and sound of popular music. Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas are just a few of the artists who made these songs that we know and love so well. In this 90 minutes clinic, Angeline Saris will take you through some of the best bass lines from Motown, with special attention to James Jamerson. If you would like to get a head start, watch the movie Standing in the Shadows of Motown. Although not required for this clinic, there is also a book with many of Jamerson’s bass transcriptions that is bass player gold! Bass players of all levels are welcome! 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, September 15th 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! ** This class is now full & not accepting any more students. Thank you! 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
