Driving music and momentous lyrics make up the heart of Chicagos rock group Eye of Nine. For the last year, Eye of Nine has been touring their independent E.P., titled Chapter Eight, across some of Chicagos main music venues, including Congress Theater, Clearwater, Penny Road Pub, U.S. Beer Company, Wheaton Grand Theater, and UIC Battle of the Bands. Eye of Nine audiences are instantly hooked when Eric Cervantes, Stephen Csiky, Ryan Powszok, and Devin Buttner take the stage and win over the audience with their charismatic presence. Eye of Nine is pure energy: with every high-octane performance, they love to rock and entertain. At a time when many bands are built and molded to be cliché instead of innovative and novel, Eye of Nine stays true to the straight edge rock style. With influences such as Sevendust, Nickelback, Incubus, Dark New Day, and Kenny Wayne Shepard, Eye of Nine adheres to a genre that appeals to everyone.
Comprising of four men with complementing personalities that grew up in the same town and attended the same high school, it is easy to see why the members bond so well together. Eric Cervantes and Stephen Csiky began their friendship in late elementary school, when Eric took interest in Stephens musical ability- and Stephen took interest in Erics sister. In 1997 Eric and Stephen formed a band consisting of two guitarists and a drummer. Inspired by the idea, Ryan Powszok created a rival band, which performed alongside Stephen and Eric at the annual variety show. After his band dissolved, however, Ryan joined Eye of Nine initially as their drummer, but within a short time found his calling as their bassist instead. Fresh from a more pop-influenced group, drummer Devin Buttner joined with Eye of Nine in 1999. According to the band, their initial meeting with Devin was somewhat of a joke: Its kind of a funny story how Devin randomly showed up at my door. I had answered my garage door by tapping on it with drumsticks, and Devin tapped the exact beat right back at me. We went back and forth until Devin blew me away with this wicked rhythm, said Ryan Powzok. Despite further obstacles to overcome and several member replacements, Eric, Stephen, Ryan and Devin have always remained the core of Eye of Nine. In between performances, they still spend their time learning from one another and perfecting their crafts. Although music remains the central dynamic, their friendships continue to grow and develop over time.
Throughout high school, Eye of Nine grew up playing local shows and writing material on the side. In 2003, they recorded their first CD entitled Chapter Eight at the Studio of Chicago under the production of Mario Massi with Secret Sound Entertainment. This collection of 15 songs contains tracks they had written throughout high school and pays tribute to their adolescence. The E.P. includes their single Chapter Eight, as well as Unwritten Unknown, which hit the second spot on Broadband.coms chart for new alternative bands. The accomplishment served to strengthen the bands commitment to each other and to their music.
In the summer of 2005, Eye of Nine decided to take a more professional approach. With their return to the studio, they began diligently working on their sophomore album. They also recently completed and distributed the music video for Always About You, an evocative track dedicated to Eye of Nines fans. Through everything, Eric, Steve, Ryan, and Devin have firmly stuck to the mantra that the best way to learn involves constructive critique and a strong, supportive foundation. A spirit of determination unites the members in their pursuit of excellence. All in all, Eye of Nine is a name that embodies passion, hard work, and dedication.