My first encounter with Red Hex's singer/guitarist Sam Olsen was at his home while he tested out his recently acquired reverb tank. I use the word "tested" loosely. The test consisted of Olsen plugging in his Epiphone Sheraton and kicking the absolute hell out of the surprisingly resilient piece of equipment. Not long after, I caught the band with Tacoma's Makeup Monsters at The Middle Room, a short-lived venue in downtown Tacoma. I've seen them a number of times since, and have always been impressed by the band's freshness and high-energy performances. Also, as noted in an earlier Rockford Files column, Red Hex's 7-inch Shoulda Known is worth the spin.

Recently, I saw Red Hex at a less than ideal venue, which the show's host was severely uneducated in the approach by which Tacoma shows are taken. Unnecessary struggles over the schedule and the volume of Red Hex's performance led Olsen to pose the question - to the audience, mind you - "Why do we play shitty shows for no money?"

The answer to this question came in the form of a Facebook post yesterday, announcing the band's first European tour. The tour will begin April 4 in Rome, then wind its way around European finishing May 11 in Athens. Band members Isaiah Tankiewicz, Spencer Russo and Olsen will rock Berlin, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona and the Tuscany region. On the tour they will be billed with the Greek punk band Bazooka.

I can only hope that Europe braces itself for the arrival of Red Hex - a band that has epitomized garage rock and roll, and made itself synonymous with what it means to be in a Tacoma basement on a Saturday night.

In other Red Hex news, it is rumored that there is soon to be a video for the title track of Shoulda Known, available for purchase through bandcamp on CD or vinyl format. Already a must have for Red Hex fans in Tacoma, it is soon to be a must have for Europe.

LINK: More Rockford Files