Chattanooga’s Live Music Scene –Remembering January At Puckett’s

It’s a funny thing, watching a band mature and grow over a period of years. When Remembering January was just getting started in the Chattanooga area, I immediately liked them. One could easily see the talent. Now several years later, they have matured into a solid band with an excellent following, including many of Chattanooga’s best musicians that come out to see them play. I kind of look at them as my kids, in a way. They probably look at me as the crazy old great-grandpa.

A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see them do an acoustic set at Puckett’s Restaurant. I had told my girlfriend about them and bragged on them consistently. Of all the times I have seen the band, I have never seen them do an acoustic set. It was fantastic. Tyler Southern was magical on the guitar and piano, as always. Cody, Brandon, and Chris performed to the highest level. They played some originals from their new CD, as well as some really good covers. Without question, my girlfriend now trusts my judgment in music, too.

A couple of years ago, I wrote an article on the band. I thought I would reprint it here for you. I called it Band of Brothers.

“Being in a band is not easy. Just ask The Beatles, The Eagles, or a zillion other groups that have broken up over personal issues that developed from within the band. Local bands have seen the same fate many times, as well.

So what is a group supposed to do to further harmony and prevent a blow-up? I have a suggestion – get to know the guys from Remembering January. They are not a band of musicians, but rather they are more like a band of brothers. You can’t tell me that the personality gods just happened to link together these five “good guys”. I don’t believe for a second that this was just pure luck.
No, after observing these guys for the past 5 years or so, I think they just happened to develop a respect and a love for each other that should be the envy of any group of people, but more especially musical groups. I am sure they have arguments from time to time, but the overriding philosophy in the group is brotherly love. Look out for each other. Take time to help your friend, band mate, and “brother.”

While all are talented on their own, as a group they have discovered that the whole is greater than the each part added individually. It is the whole package that makes the success, not the individual players. It would be easy to say that Tyler Southern is a super-talent in his own right. He is. But put him on stage with this band and his talents are immediately more recognizable. Why? They bring it out in him. He brings the talent out in them. Heck, Tyler can’t even drive himself to a gig – he relies on his “brothers.” As they say, “He don’t see so well.” (I think Tyler says he is blind in one eye and can’t see out of the other) I have found that Tyler Southern sees better than most. He has 8 other eyes on which to rely. They make sure he gets where he needs to be and they make sure everything is hooked up properly. In return, Tyler practices and learns his parts quickly. He is a guitar wizard and a piano wizard. He offers high quality sound to an already good band.

I can tell you this – I wouldn’t want to be the one to pick a fight with any one of the guys in the band. Believe me, you would get to meet them all. I remember signing them to a contract to play Riverbend about 4 years ago. They drove up from Chatsworth and I met them at McDonalds in Ringgold. When I say I met “them”, I mean all of them. They all showed up to sign a simple little contract to play the festival. I explained that I really only needed one of them and they replied by telling me that they go and do everything together. That told me something.

When I first saw them play, they were good, but a bit rough around the edges. However, anybody could tell there was a lot of talent buried in there. Now, five years later, they have matured and gotten even better. Their equipment has gotten better. Their stage presence has improved. Funny thing though – they still hang out together. I went to see them play not long ago and immediately noticed that they all sat together before the show and during breaks. They write many of their own songs and you can hear the brotherly love in the lyrics of some of them.

I leave you with the following: Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno. In the Latin language, the 3 Musketeers, and apparently in the language of a band from Chatsworth, Georgia – that means “one for all and all for one”.  Remembering January – a band of brothers.”

I’ll see you out!

Bob Payne is the Entertainment Editor for the Chattanoogan.com and talent buyer for Friends of the Festival/Riverbend. You can follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/davrik2000 or email me at davrik@aol.com.