Celebrating the recent release of his latest comedy special, Kevin & Hell, this comedian has performed at Comedy Corner Underground, Zanies, Laugh Factory, Comedy Bar, and beyond. He’s contributed to the acclaimed Roast Battle Chicago and has been featured at the Milwaukee Comedy Festival, the Chicago Podcast Festival, and C2E2. His media work with Sportskeeda Wrestling has been seen by millions, with some of the biggest names in WWE, and he has opened for the iconic rock band Papa Roach. As part of We Own The Laughs.com’s Comedian of the Day, have a few laughs and get to know comedian Kevin Kellam. The Chicago, IL native shares some of his favorite stand-up moments and explains how he always owns the laughs.
Name: Kevin Kellam
Hometown: Chicago, IL (where they got the pizza)
Instagram/Tik-Tok: @kevkellam6/@kevinhkellam
Years in Comedy: I don’t know. I started doing improv and sketch in high school, around my radio work, which is very odd for commercial radio. I’ve been doing stand-up since 2010.
Haven’t we seen you somewhere before: Heard on rock radio Chicago’s Alternative Q101, Minneapolis’s 93X, and Rockford’s 104.9 The X. Seen on many Roast Battle Chicago shows.
Comedic Influences: My Nana Rosemary first comedian I ever met. Maria Bamford, Bill Burr, Mitch Hedberg, Natasha Leggero
Favorite Comedy Special: Maria Bamford “How To Win”
Favorite Comedy Movie: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Favorite Comedy TV Show: WWE
Favorite Comedic Character: Brockmire
Favorite City to Perform In: Chicago
Favorite Topics to Joke About: My Family and relationships in life
Favorite Type of Audience for a Comedy Show: An energetic, engaged, but polite crowd.
Favorite Comedy Club: HOW DO I ANSWER THIS?! Lincoln Lodge put Roast Battle Chicago on the map and helped us get to Zanies, and it has done so much for comedians coming up.
How did you discover your passion for comedy:
Making my family laugh, my Nana did it before me.
What do you remember most about your first time performing stand-up comedy:
I remember just the relief of getting up at an open mic after trying to get a spot for weeks.
How would you describe your comedic style:
Good guy wrestler losing a match.
Describe your process for comedic writing:
Noted idea, usually written backward from an idea and then ranted out. I widdle it down or tag it up from there.
Describe the comedy scene in your area:
Hustling passionate weirdos drinking cheap beer and doing it because we love it.
How do you judge success in the world of comedy:
I don’t know anymore. I guess having a career in it, a legitimate workload in it, but the high of making a crowd enjoy themselves is pretty sweet.
Who are some of your comedic peers that you enjoy watching perform or inspire you personally and professionally:
Kristen Toomey is regarded as THE best in Chicago because she works really, really hard while at the same time seemingly breathing comedy out of herself gracefully.
What’s been your most memorable moment in comedy:
Recording my special. I wanted to cut a line out of it that I said on stage, but I got talked out of it. ‘KEVIN AND HELL’ is maybe the best creative moment of my life, next to signing on air with Q101.
What have you learned most from your failures in comedy:
You are not defined by a single bad show, but to borrow a really corny Rocky quote, ‘it’s how you can get hit and keep moving forward. Please read that with a Sly Stallone voice in your head.
How do people react toward you when they realize that you can make people laugh:
I guess it’s a bit odd when I perform on stage, and people know I do radio as well, almost like I have to untie a double knot. It’s a bit of the “oh yeah, you can do that”.
Describe building a career in stand-up comedy:
Everything in my life has never come easily, nor has it come by chance. I never knew I was going to tape a special with Windy City Comedy Special, but when I got on stage months later, I was very ready and also wound up like an overweight guy waiting to get a seat belt off on a plane.
If you could change one thing in the world of comedy, what would it be:
The dumb lines some people draw between different comedy genres or forms, such as sketch, improv, and stand-up. If someone does not perform comedy, they usually don’t care. It all feels so petty and regressive.
Best advice you’ve ever received from a comedian:
“Slow down, and perform FOR the audience, not AT the audience’. It’s advice I have seen for pro wrestling, and it 100% applies to comedy. It may be an add-on to ‘timing is everything.”
If you were releasing a comedy special this week, what would it be called:
If I were releasing a follow-up special, would it be Heaven and Kellam? Kevamania? I deeply love the punny ridiculousness of a corny name like that.
Funniest encounter you’ve ever had with a celebrity:
Kyle Mooney, who had just delivered an outstanding show at the Metro, was leaving Gman Tavern next door. I was going by him, looking for my phone, buzzed on a few beers. “Kyle! Great set have you seen my phone?” He said nothing and left the bar.
Weirdest place you’ve ever performed any form of comedy:
Inside a pro wrestling ring. As a wrestling fan, it makes sense, but it doesn’t at the same time.
A Kevin Kellam Fun Fact:
I can crack my nose like a knuckle.
Where would you like your laughs to take you:
Making a living, not so much money but just the relief to not worry a lot.
What would you tell a potential comedian if they ask you how they can own the laughs:
Just be diligent about balancing working hard, being kind, and staying true to what you want to do. Do it because you want to make people laugh first, and everything else second.
What are your thoughts on the future of comedy:
I don’t know. I am not a wizard or a genius, just try to promote and share comedy you really like. No different than you would with a song you like.
If you could write an episode for ONE classic TV sitcom, which show would it be:
Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Triumph the Insult Comic Dog finally marries the Masturbating Bear.
If you could choose ONE comedy club and THREE comedians to perform with on your perfect comedy show, how would it go:
Lincoln Lodge with Natasha Leggero and Maria Bamford
What’s next for you:
Doing more radio shows on Q101, 93X, and 1049 the X. Doing more videos for Sportskeeda Wrestling. Doing more comedy sets to support my special ‘Kevin and Hell.’
Why should a person always laugh at life:
Because we don’t know everything. We can’t control everything. We can almost always make fun of everything.
Follow Kevin Kellam’s comedic journey on these social media websites:
Instagram/Tik-Tok: Kevin Kellam
Youtube: Kevin Kellam
Personal Website: Kevin Kellam
