East of Anything

It didn’t start off as a cheap ploy to get women and free drugs. Nor was it was a get rich quick scheme. When frontman Gene Micofsky began learning electric guitar as a teenager, love of music in its most naïve form was the sole driving force.

Pure love of music is the still driving force behind this trio consisting of Gene Micofsky, Brian Carola, and Darren Zimmer. Plain and simple, it’s modern radio-friendly rock with deep roots in yesterday’s classics. The past meets the present with a deep devotion to craft, so it never feels like a novelty act. The music is anchored on the classic concept of a power trio, where the instruments bear significant weight, and matched with modern-day songwriting for a portrayal of everyday life on a larger than life stage.

The project began in 2008, when Gene Micofsky, exhausted of the college life, desired to get back to basics; a return to what inspired this path in the first place. A 3-song EP was produced, and the band hit the streets. Before long, it became apparent that this project was in serious need of a band name. Inspired by the band’s location in New Jersey, East of Anything was adopted as the new moniker.

After an intense period of rehearsing, performing and developing the material, the band’s full-length debut was released in the spring of 2009.
The self-titled record hosts a diverse palette of influences, where modern alternative rock is freely fused with almost anything imaginable. Traces of classic metal emerge on the opening track “Thrown Away.” Pulsating folk-rock dominates the stage on “A Way Out.” Subtle touches of progressive rock find their way into the album closer “Brighter Side.”

“I’m not exactly sure what singer/songwriter/guitarist Gene Micofsky’s influences are but I heard a wide range of easy comparisons throughout the 10 tracks that make up the album. From the Foo Fighters to Bon Jovi to Jimmy Eat World to U2; mix that with a core that is the band’s own and you have a beautifully written album.”

-John Wren, Stereo Killer Review

Best Buy celebrated the release of EoA’s debut album by hosting a very successful in- store CD Release Party and live performance. Since, the band has performed in major venues throughout the U.S. working hard to establish a national identity.