Integrity. Taste. Honesty. Sincerity. If one needs to put a finer point on “roots rock” (with or without the “Texas” aspect), those are some good words to use. Some good qualities to strive for. 

Alliance, Ohio, native Stroia seems like the kind of guy who guides his life by those principles. The way he structured the Gene Pool is a good indicator. He believed a band could be built around three equally strong songwriter/performers, and when he formed this one in March 2002, he sought out musical peers (Jackie Hibbard and Jorge Castillo) who could share the stage, not just support him. In fact, when asked about the name, he admits he’d be embarrassed to use something like the Geno Stroia Band. The Gene Pool was the suggestion of a friend.