LAURINBURG – Comedian Kevin Smith loves his hometown, so much so that he chose Laurinburg as the place to officially launch his stand-up career.

Smith, who works under the stage name Kevin Wolf, filmed a recent stand-up show at CG’s Night Club in the Clinton Inn and will use it as his debut video. The 30-minute video will be out in November and available on Smith’s social media pages KevinWolfComedy on Facebook and Twitter.

He believes that growing up here helped shape who he is as a person and helped shape his humor.

“It’s the genuineness of the people; I can be myself. I’m proud of where I come from, and I’ve learned it’s all in how you treat other people. It doesn’t matter where you come from,” Smith said. “Anytime I have a chance to bring a positive light to Laurinburg and show appreciation for where I come from, it’s a good thing.”

Smith had toyed with the idea of being a comedian in the past but never attempted it. He became serious about a career in comedy after seeing an ad for open mic night at a comedy club in Raleigh.

“People always told me I was funny, but I never pursued it,” Smith said. “So when I saw that, I went home and wrote some material. When I got onstage, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

He had already incorporated humor into his daily life and in his job as a fundraiser in the athletic development department at Wake Forest University. Smith uses wit as an ice breaker to “take stress off” and lighten the mood in his work, so stand-up comedy was not a huge leap.

He chose Wolf as a stage name because a wolf is unpredictable and cannot be easily caged. Smith said his comedy is much the same way. There is no telling what direction he will go when he takes the stage.

Smith describes his comedy as a reflection of his youth in Laurinburg, his observations on marriage and being the parent of twins, pop culture and life in general.

Though these are staples in the world of comedy, Smith believes his spin on them has something special to offer.

“I definitely talk about family my wife, my mom, my kids and friends. We’ve all been teenagers and did crazy things and got caught doing stuff we’re not supposed to do, so I like to include stuff like that,” he said. “I make it different because these are my experiences. I put my voice on it. It’s taken from my life and my perspective. You have to put your twist on it.”

It may be trite, but he genuinely believes that laughter is the best medicine because it is the ultimate stress reliever. He also believes humor is a gift from God and that learning to laugh at one’s self is the key to comedy.

“God gave everybody a sense of humor like he gave he gave everyone two eyes and a nose. But laughter is so important that He included a sense of humor,” Smith said. “When you learn to laugh at yourself, it makes life so much easier to deal with.”

Smith graduated from Scotland High School in 1994 where he played outside linebacker for the Fighting Scots. He went on to play football for Wake Forest University and later graduated from UNC Pembroke with a master’s degree.

Courtesy photo Kevin Smith, is a comedian and Scotland County native who incorporates his hometown into his stand-up routines. He is pictured with Tracey Williams who interviewed Smith after recent performance in Laurinburg.
https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_kevin_cmyk.jpgCourtesy photo Kevin Smith, is a comedian and Scotland County native who incorporates his hometown into his stand-up routines. He is pictured with Tracey Williams who interviewed Smith after recent performance in Laurinburg.
Sharing hometown humor

By Beth Lawrence

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Reach Beth Lawrence 910-506-3169