(This book is available at the Equal Opportunity Bookshop)
Read time: 3 minutes
They don’t all have to be deep, but sometimes they unexpectedly are.
If “just keep going” was a person, it would look a lot like Kevin Fredericks, aka KevOnStage. I remember seeing his Scandal recap videos years ago and debating with friends whether or not he was even funny. (Funny or not, the FOMO those videos inspired is what made me finally watch the show.) He’s been on all the apps in some capacity for years, is an OG Youtuber, and has a TV show(or maybe 2?) as well. While I haven’t kept up with everything he does, I’ve definitely seen his presence in the comedy world steadily expand. I have a lot of respect for him, his work ethic, and his commitment to building his brand and persona without becoming inauthenti
The respect only increases now that I’ve found out just how many things went wrong for Kev along the way. This memoir is a little different than most career retrospectives. It focuses on the failures, disappointments, and tragedies that he’s encountered, as well as the successes they’ve led him to. Some are silly, like bombing at a fraternity step show(what else was going to happen?). Some are gross, like the time he had a bathroom accident on a Greyhound bus(we really didn’t need that story, Kev). Some are so tragic that the wounds are still raw. (The chapters on the death of his brother are genuinely painful and sad.)
Through it all, there’s a genuinely admirable sense of focus and perseverance. Speaking as a writer and performer, it’s very easy for non-creatives to forget that creative work is work. It’s really cool work, but it requires just as much if not more effort as a regular job and for the first few years, you make small, inconsistent amounts of money doing it. Kev’s recounting of everything that helped him go from church comedian to bonafide star is warm and honest rather than bitter, snotty, or superior. He’s happy he made it, but he doesn’t gloss over the less glamourous realities of clearing the messy path between a dream and a career. Mistakes have been made. People have screwed him over, and vice versa. Tragedy, reality and good fortune have all struck unexpectedly. But he kept on, and here he is.
It’s a light read with some hidden depths, a lot of warmth, and plenty of the slightly awkward, honest humor that Kev is known for.
An Immodium tablet, a D9 alumni event gig, and my deepest condolences to Successful Failure.
(Fellow readers, this was a very unexpected and motivating read in what has been, I think, a challenging time for many creatives and artist. I still maintain I didn’t need to read about him doo-dooing on himself on public transportation, though. Yuck. If you want to read more diverse books for diverse readers, peruse the site a bit or visit the Equal Opportunity Bookshop. Friendly alert–anything you buy from a link you find here results in a little kickback, which we use to keep the lights on and buy more books. Now, go an read something good! Peace!)
