1980:


Winter 1979-1980: The Units record their Warm Moving Bodies single.

During the recording, Alex Rudis leaves to play with Red Asphalt. The Units record the single with the help of Tim Ennis. It is released in March.

Alex rejoins the band and they play a number of shows in San Francisco, including playing an opening spot for XTC at the Old Waldorf.

The single attracts the attention of 415 Records.

Roosevelts, SF (Dec 22 79)
Units perform with the Offs and the Skins.






Whiskey, LA (Dec 25 79)
Units with the Offs.

Mabuhay Gardens, SF
(Dec 27 79)
Units perform with the Aliens and Los Microwaves.

Roosevelts, SF (Jan 25 80)
The Units play with 84 Rooms and the Sponges. 84 Rooms feature former Unit Tim Ennis on drums.






Geary Theater, SF (Feb 16 80)
Units with Los Microwaves and Impatient Youth.






Mabuhay
Gardens, SF (Feb 19 80)
Romeo Void, 84 Rooms, + Tony Labat performance






Old Waldorf, SF (Feb 25/26 80)
The Units open for British group XTC.
Setlist(25th): "Warm Moving Bodies," "I-Night," "Town By The River," "Postcard," "Bug Boy," "Cowboy," "High Pressure Days" and "Go."

Berkeley Square (Feb 29 80)

1839 Geary, SF (March 1 80)
Mutants, special guest

Intersection Theatre, SF (March 2 80)
Voice Farm, The Synthesizer Roundup. The "Synthesizer Roundup" was Mark Crop, Scott from Red Asphalt, Gary from Voice Farm, Steve from Pink Section, Tim Ennis from 84 Rooms, and Scott and Alex from the Units.




March 3rd 1980: The Units release their "Warm Moving Bodies" 7" single. The tracks are "Warm Moving Bodies" / "I-Night". Read advertisements and reviews.







Back Dor, SF
(March 5 80)
The Units play with the Bucks and No Critics









Roosevelts, SF (March 21 80)
Units and Sponges

Spring 1980: During negotiations with 415 Records, the Units split in half: Richard Driskill, Ron Lantz and Alex Rudis leave to form Modmach, while Scott Ryser and Rachel Webber are left to carry on with the Units. Rachel moves from vocals and projections to become a synthysizer player.
They are signed and begin work on
their first album at Big Pink West in San Francisco

Scott's friend from Redding, Brad Saunders, returns from travel abroad to become the Units new drummer.

Jim Reynolds, an acquaintance, becomes a part-time percussionist for the Units.

Temple, SF
(March 22 80)
Units with the Dead Kennedys and Mutants

Berkeley Square, Berkeley, CA
(March 27 80)
With Modern Machines and 84 Rooms.








Baby O's, Seattle, WA
(March 31 80)
With the Blackouts.








Summer 1980:


The Units, now Brad Saunders on drums, Scott Ryser on keyboards and vocals and Rachel Webber on keyboards and vocals, continue work on their new album.

Once it is finished, they begin to play out again. They are interviewed by Slash Magazine. They open for Ultravox at The Stone in September.

Tool and Die, SF
(Aug 16 80)
The Units play with Indoor Life and The Nubs.








Back Dor, SF
(Aug 23 80)

Waldorf, SF (Sept 4 80)
Units play with Romeo Void.

Rock City (Sept 5 80)
Units with Mutants

The Stone, SF (Sept 19 80) The Units open for Ultravox along with Jo Allen & The Shapes.

Fall 1980: The Units release "Digital Stimulation" and support it with a number of shows around San Francisco. The album gets good reviews nationally. The Units play the Oakland Auditorium on Halloween in support of The Police and Iggy Pop. They also play the Warfield Theatre as support for Gary Numan.

Mabuhay Gardens, SF (Oct 2 80)

University of California at Davis Coffeehouse, Davis, CA (Oct 4 80)
With the Readymades and the Meantime.







I-Beam, SF (Oct 10 80)

October 10 1980: The Units release their first LP, "Digital Stimulation," via San Francisco's 415 Records (named after the area code). The tracks are "High Pressure Days," "Digital Stimulation," "Warm Moving Bodies," "I Wanna Be Go," "Mission," "Cannibals," "Bugboy," "Tight Fit," "Passion or Patterns," "Town By The River," and "Cowboy." Read advertisements and reviews.

Keystone, Palo Alto (Oct 10 80)
The Units play with SVT

Old Waldorf, SF (Oct 15 80)
The Units play with the Psychedelic Furs and the VKTMS.

Mabuhay Gardens (Oct 25 80)
The Units perform with Los Microwaves and Video Rouge






Oakland Auditorium Arena (Oct 31 80)
The Police, Iggy Pop. "Urgh #2 Halloween Costume Ball"

Monterey, CA (Oct 31 80)

Sacramento, CA (Nov 4 80)

Warfield Theatre, SF (Nov 6 80)
The Units open for Gary Numan.

L.A. Central (Nov 7 80)

University of Nevada, Los Vegas
(Nov 8 80)
Scott: "We played the University and they kept calling us DEVO."

Tuscon, Arizona (Nov 10 80)

Phoenix, Arizona (Nov 11 80)

Mabuhay Gardens, SF (Nov 22 80)
The Units play with the VKTMs and Chrome Dinette. Steve from the VKTMs joins the Units on bass for a portion of their set. Setlist: "Cowboy," "Mission," "Town By The River," "Digital Stimulation," "(instrumental)," "I-Night," "High Pressure Days," "I Wanna Be Go," "Cannibals," "Warm Moving Bodies."




The Stone, Palo Alto, CA (Dec 4 80)
The Units play with Group 87.
Scott: "Mark Isham and Patrick O'Hearn of Group 87 both do major television and movie soundtracks now. Isham did the soundtrack for the Harvey Milk film. Their drummer Kurt did a brief stint with us."

The Stone, SF (Dec 7 80)
The Units play with Group 87.

Mabuhay Gardens, SF (Dec 19 80)
The Units with Barry Beam.


1981