Article by Kiersten Brackelman, Contributing Writer

On Tuesday, October 7th, local band “Safety Training” performed at the Fresh Food Company Patio. The intimate concert was from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., as the second event of Jag Productions’ new series Campus Ruckus. The first event was the No Outlet concert on September 23rd. 

Safety Training is a four-person band with lead vocalist Nick Rhodes, guitarist Mike Martinez, bassist Ben White, and Mike Johnston on drums. All members are South Alabama alumni. At their performance, they played cover songs including “Shiver” by Maroon 5 as well as their original songs such as “Letting Go,” “What I Need,” and “Inside My Mind.” 

When asked to describe the band’s sound and musical influences in an interview with SPIN magazine, lead vocalist Nick Rhodes said, “We all have roots in Hardcore, Post-Hardcore, Emo, and even Deathcore. I would say some past influences are a wide range from Comeback Kid, Poison the Well, Thrice, Misery Signals, The Story So Far, Underoath, A Day to Remember, Coheed and Cambria, the list could go on.” He also mentioned that their sound is not confined to a specific musical boundary, even with the influences of these artists: “I don’t think we have one album that is driving the direction, as you will notice, most of our songs sound different.”

They have a strong local presence as they frequently perform at venues around Mobile and the surrounding areas, such as Fairhope Brewing Company in Mobile, and The Handlebar in Pensacola. The band has recently created a music video for their August release “Letting Go,” which is available on their YouTube @SafetyTrainingBand. Additionally, they are soon announcing a release date for their new single “2 Beers for Confidence.”

For more information about the band or their future events, they can be found on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok at the handle: @SafetyTrainingBand. Their music is available on Apple Music, YouTube, and Spotify. For information about future Campus Ruckus events, follow Jag Productions on Instagram @jpsouthal.