Kevin James Thornton
Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle
Royal Oak, Mich.
May 18, 2025
I discovered comedian Kevin James Thornton on Instagram. His comedy is largely based on the religious trauma he experienced as a child growing up in a super fundamentalist church in the '90s, especially as a gay youth. While my own experience with religion as a child was nowhere near as extreme, the subject still resonates with me. Plus, his stories can be completely bonkers, and I’ve always found religion in general to be fascinating on a cultural level.
At a performance at the Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, Thornton told us he was testing out new material. I had never seen his live show before, so it was (mostly) all new to me. One of his signature moves is using a sing-song voice in autotune to tell his stories online – especially every time he says “in the '90s” – which adds a lighter tone to the bits. Most of his show was in his normal voice, but I was happy to see the autotune making a regular appearance on stage.
I found Thornton’s show enjoyable but not as funny as his social media material, though he did include some of his online stories live. (Fans will be happy his popular “shamala hamala” talking-in-tongues bit closes the show.)
One of the things that drew me to Thornton’s comedy online was that it is relatively tame. I’ve never been much of a fan of vulgarity, so I was surprised when learning that Thornton’s comedy show took his church stories to a more R-rated level. There was a bit about baptisms and “penis water” that wasn’t my favorite but others appreciated. Another about him masturbating to psalms yielded groans from more than just me.
His non-religious material didn’t overtly delve into anything political (he said he doesn’t watch the news anymore), but he did encourage audience members to reflect on the real enemy: the common people versus those at the top.
While I didn’t find Thornton’s material as funny as his social media bits, I did find him extremely likeable. One thing I’ve always admired about him is that despite his – clearly traumatic – religious upbringing, his comedy never reveals a sense of anger, resentment or bitterness that would be totally justifiable. It shows someone who has processed his trauma, accepted his experience and moved forward without letting it ruin his life or his character. This comes across on his social media and also in his live show.
In fact, toward the end of his set, he acknowledged that he has processed the darkness of his past and said he has moved beyond it. He said he has compressed his trauma into a jewel that he keeps in his heart, and is grateful for it, because it has made him who he is. It was poetic and inspiring, and something all damaged souls should strive for.
He also shared his vision for a “softer future.” He shared an example of a time he accidentally cut someone off and tried to make eye contact to give a friendly, apologetic gesture after-the-fact, which is not something that can be conveyed via social media and advocated for “less screens, more eyes.” His visions of Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell in a rock band together or Marjorie Taylor Green taking up watercolor were also amusing.
I enjoyed my evening at Comedy Castle (another first for me). I wasn’t in stitches, but Thornton’s confidence and charisma were palpable, and it was a joy to watch him live.
