Kevin “KevOnStage” Fredericks didn’t wait for Hollywood to hand him a seat at the table; he built his own theater.
Over a decade of relentless content creation and brilliant comedic timing has culminated in a literal entertainment empire for the El Paso, Texas, native. From self-producing hit podcasts like “Bald Brothers” to launching independent, sold-out stand-up tours across the country, Kev has established himself as the ultimate blueprint for the modern media mogul.
Kev recently spoke with The Root about what excites him about “Safe Space”—whose second season premiered in June—the importance of his independence as a creator, and why comedians have to do more than ever to remain relevant in today’s comedic landscape.
“I think we just try to take the same excitement and execution into every project that we do,” Kev explained.
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When he’s not podcasting or doing stand-up, Kev is creating new shows that push the boundaries of comedy. “Safe Space,” his couples therapy comedy series, centers on the well-meaning but hilariously under qualified “Dr. Fredericks” as he attempts to counsel dysfunctional couples through their relationship drama. Kev opened up about how maintaining a high standard of excellence and focusing on flawless execution has significantly expanded his footprint in the comedy game.
“We attack it the same way every single time, and we want to meet our level or beat our level. With everything I do, I’m trying to raise the bar, so we tried to do some things that we weren’t able to do in season one,” he added.
While Kev is the anchor of the show, the true engine of “Safe Space” is its rotating ensemble cast featuring some of the top comedians and content creators. Jade Novah, Affion Crockett, Mojo Brookzz, Spice Adams, Courtney Bee, and Lou Young III all make hilarious appearances during the series.
“I’m excited that people are willing to work with me. I’ve always enjoyed collaboration, and I’m a competitive person, but I use it positively,” said Kev. “I want to bring people who bring the best out of me, and I’m inspired by funny people, and I want to make sure that the audience is having the best time they can have. So that’s why I try to get the best people that I can get.”
He added that he’s “never intimidated by anybody’s talent. If they’re killing the scene and they’re funnier than me, then that means the audience is having a good time. I know if I’m laughing on set and the crew’s laughing on set, then the audience is going to laugh when it’s their time to see it.”
Instead of going the traditional route with his content, Kev inked a lucrative multi-year partnership with Tubi. The partnership includes multiple upcoming seasons of “Safe Space,” a new workplace comedy titled “The Airport,” two original feature films, and his first streaming stand-up special, “Grief Sucks.” The partnership is Tubi’s most expensive to date, and Kev detailed why the platform is perfect for his brand.
“I was connected to Tubi by Rich Bloom, who worked previously at Vimeo. They were aware of my app, Cam State Studios,” he said. “Vimeo used to host that app, and they noticed my ability to drive my audience to my app, and they thought I could do the same thing at Tubi. It‘s the best situation I could have asked for.”
Nobody understands the grind of the modern comedy ecosystem quite like KevOnStage. His trajectory highlights a new reality for today’s comics. If you aren’t ready to do it all, from editing your own vertical videos to managing a Patreon, you’re going to get left behind. For him, being a multi-hyphenate is essential to being a successful comedian in the digital world.
“In today’s comedy landscape, you have to do more. I think prior generations of comics could have a great set on “The Tonight Show,” which would get you on the road, a TV show, movies, and that was the path,” Kev shared. “Today’s comedians can’t do the same thing. You have to be funny on stage, you have to have a podcast, you need to be active on social media, and you need to be selling your own merch. You have to find a way to do more things to get the same thing.”
Kev also pointed out that the days of getting rich off standard TV show checks are long gone. With a shift in the industry’s pay structure, creators have the opportunity to build their own tables instead of accepting a seat at someone else’s.
“Sometimes, you may have to make less in exchange for being more creative, so I wouldn’t say it’s all bad,” said Kev. “The gatekeepers are having a harder time gatekeeping because people have direct access to their audience now. You can build your own audience outside of traditional media.”
When asked what he would consider a successful season of “Safe Space,” Kev revealed the vision behind his creativity.
“As long as I’m able to make people laugh and introduce new talent to people, that’s success to me. You can’t control the numbers,” Kev said. “All I can control is how much work I put into it, which is a lot every time, and I hope that people enjoy it. Our goal is to make sure that people have a good time, and are introduced to as many new creators as we possibly can.”
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‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.theroot.com ’
