The Electric Banana

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The Electric Banana was also the name of a fictional club in the film This is Spinal Tap and an alias for the British rock band the Pretty Things.

The Electric Banana was a punk club, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It hosted such acts as The Misfits, Hüsker Dü, Half-Life, Descendents, Snakefinger, and They Might Be Giants. It was located at 3887 Bigelow Boulevard. It lasted as a music venue from 1970 to around 1999 before being transformed by owner Johnny "Banana" Zarra into an Italian restaurant. The name is now Zarra's: A Taste Of Southern Italy.

The Electric Banana became a punk rock club in late 1980, after stints as both a regular "go-go" bar and a gay "go-go" bar. Zarra and wife Judy (a former go-go dancer) took up an offer from local punk and other "unique" bands and artists who needed a venue to play. Within a couple of years, The Banana became the epicenter of Pittsburgh's punk scene. By 1985, most of the "name bands" of the national underground punk scene had played the Banana.

Amongst the local acts, there was the aforementioned Half-Life, The Cynics, S.M.D. (Screaming Mailboxes of Destiny), 99 cents, The Five, The Cardboards, and Carsickness, all of which became regular acts at The Banana, and often "hosted" the national acts coming through.

Most "hardcore" shows, that appealed to younger audiences primarily, happened on Sunday Nights, which were designated "all ages" nights. This gave younger bands and fans a chance to play "in a real club" and helped Zarra and wife Judy operate their business on a night that Pennsylvania Blue laws would have normally kept it closed.

Bands like The Cynics, The Five, and Carsickness often attracted fans over the age of 21 and appeared regularly on weekday and weekend nights. Touring hardcore bands that had known draws would be offered other nights to play if the Zarra's saw a better draw than a local band. In those cases, the bar would not serve alcohol like on Sunday nights.

Zarra and wife Judy were responsible for giving punk, hardcore and other non-MTV friendly acts a home and a place to express themselves at the Electric Banana. While few would doubt that Zarra was running the club to make a living, few would also doubt that the couple was instrumental in the Pittsburgh punk and alternative scenes. They literally would give anyone a chance to play a set at their club. All someone would have to do is ask, and they would find a slot for you. This courtesy was extended to local, national and even international acts looking for a venue.

The Electric Banana was also known for its stylized yellow matchbook covers. The image of a banana may have been copied from Andy Warhol's icon used for the Velvet Underground.