The Transistors began performing in Colorado in the summer of '79. With the departure of local Boulder groups as The Corvairs and The Defex for greater success outside of Colorado, The Transistors quickly rose up the ranks to become one of the top New Wave bands in the state and certainly the most popular from Boulder. During their approximately year-long period of popularity in '79 and '80 new wave and punk rock emerged as a very popular musical style in Colorado. The music style gathered a new and larger audience and local bands like The Transistors led the way into the new decade of the 80's. The Transistors packed large crowds into the "new wave rock" clubs that emerged in Denver in 1980 like Walabi's and Four Mile House. They were also opening act for such touring bands as the Ramones, Talking Heads, and the English band Fashion.

Led by the quirky and exciting front man Ricky Ritardo the band featured the accomplished musical talents of guitarist Keith Murdock and Colorado punk heartthrob Karen Sony on bass. The Transistors displayed an element of humor in their songwriting that separated them from many of the other Colorado New Wave bands. There songs were fun instead of angry. They were one of the few groups to leave a vinyl recording legacy behind — the Brian Winter (former touring guitarist for Jesus Christ Superstar) produced Screwball Records 45 "I Want to Be Your Telephone" b/w "R Love". This record is considered by many to be one of the greatest new wave records to ever come out of Colorado. It captured the band at the heighth of their powers.