Trey Kennedy brings ‘Relatable’ humor to Greensburg’s Palace Theatre
Courtesy of Millennial Entertainment
Trey Kennedy, comedian and content creator, is bringing his brand of clean, family fun to the Palace Theatre in Greensburg Thursday, Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
His Relatable Tour promises a night of laughter with his humorous takes on everyday life and the quirks that we all share.
Finding funny in the ordinary
Trey Kennedy wasn’t set on comedy; comedy seemed to choose him.
“I was in college studying finance and was goofing off on social media when one of my videos went viral,” he said. The entertainer was able to amass 2.5 million followers on the short-form video app Vine before it shut down.
The 33-year-old Kennedy, who is a Christian, avoids labels in his act. “I was born and raised going to church and I am still involved in that, but I’m not necessarily doing Christian comedy. I write from my experiences,” he said.
Kennedy quickly discovered if he finds humor in everyday life, many others will as well. And if an everyday situation isn’t all that funny, he will attempt to elicit laughs from it anyway.
“One of my early videos blew up. In it, I danced the Wop, (which was big at the time), while doing laundry,” he said.
Creating characters from real life
As Kennedy’s life has evolved, so has his material. Now a father of two, he often jokes about toddler chaos, overdramatic moms, church culture and stereotypical suburban life.
He also admits by the time he hits the stage his work is mostly complete. “Writing for the internet is tough because you’re fighting so hard to get people’s attention and it’s never a perfect science,” he said. “When I perform on stage, my audience already knows what to expect.”
It could be said that Kennedy comes by his humor honestly.
“My dad, mother and grandfather-we were always joking around,” he said.
Touring presents both challenges and rewards. “The worst thing about touring is being away from my family-which is also the best thing,” he cracks, adding that he enjoys visiting different towns and meeting new people.
From one comedian to another
Michael Halcomb, a clean comedian and fan, believes that Kennedy stands out for his ability to be relatable without being vanilla.
“I like that he manages to stay clean while still having some real edge to his comedy,” Halcomb said, adding that Kennedy also has a knack for exaggerating everyday moments in a way that feels sharp, but never mean-spirited.
Halcomb describes Kennedy’s material which highlights family and generational quirks as especially clever. “His characters are specific and well-crafted and the jokes are tight and well-written too,” he said, adding that it’s a delicate balance.
What Halcomb admires the most is that Kennedy is able to deliver humor that feels relatable, modern, and slightly risky, without ever crossing lines.
“He has moments where he nails what it means to be ‘playfully inappropriate,’ which is a balance that is much harder to pull off than most people realize,” said Halcomb.
A growing audience
Audiences have embraced Kennedy’s brand of humor, judging by his popularity on social media, with billions of views online across his millions of social media followers. His podcast “Correct Opinions,” co-hosted alongside his wife, Katie, and fellow comedian Jake Triplett, has amassed more than 10 million downloads since its inception.
Despite his success, Kennedy remains grounded, crediting his trajectory, in part, to grit. “How I approach it changes constantly. I am persistent and determined to keep going,” he said.
Kennedy seems to know he’s blessed and is intent on blessing others too. “I am glad to have the opportunity to help people escape a bit and feel lighter than when they arrived,” he said.