Brief History
Tiny Desk Unit was a psychedelic dance band playing around Washington DC in 1979. In its short and fiery history TDU released one LP and one EP on its 9½" x 16" record label. The band first formed, rehearsed and performed at dc space on September 11th 1979. When the 9:30 Club opened its doors on May 30th 1980, Tiny Desk Unit was the first band to take the stage. The band rehearsed in the rat infested basement of the 9:30 Club and many of the band members lived within a few blocks of the club. On a few occasions Tiny Desk Unit were joined on stage by some of their favorite people, include Julius Hemphill of World Saxophone Quartet fame, and Laurie Anderson of Laurie Anderson fame. Tiny Desk Unit stopped playing together in the winter of 1981. We reformed for a performance in 1990, the 10th anniversary of the 9:30 Club and then again in 1995 as the last band to play the 9:30 Club before it moved to its new and current location.
On July 29th 2007 a smaller Tiny Desk Unit took the stage of the 9:30 club once again. This time as a benefit to their dear friend Tom Terrell as he battles cancer. It was also a celebration of dc space and its 30th anniversary. dc space was the bands first home both as a first rehearsal space but also as the first place the band played. In a bit of magical technology, guitarist Michael Barron played from his home in California, while Bob Boilen and Susan Mumford were on the clubs stage. You can see video of the event and a time-lapse of the evenings extravaganza.
