When I was little, I was obsessed with my favorite channel, Nickelodeon. Besides Bill Nye the Science Guy, the only other television show my 6-year-old self would boot my family off the TV set for was All That on Saturday nights. I would even make restaurants change one of their TVs to Nickelodeon if we were out to dinner on a Saturday. For those of you who are unaware, All That was a 90's kids version of Saturday Night Live. My favorite comedians on All That were Lori Beth Denberg, Amanda Bynes, and Kel Mitchell. When I found out that Kel Mitchell, additionally known for his acting on Kenan & Kel and in the movie Good Burger, was going to be doing stand up at Nazareth College for their 90's themed Spring Fest, I tagged along with my friend, a graduate student, for the chance to see him in person!
Nazareth's Spring Fest festivities were much more elaborate than in years past, barring the fact that, in the past, the weather did not often hold up for all of said festivities. However, the entire parking lot beside the college quad was filled with exciting things to do, reminiscent of our 90's childhood years. There was a zipline, a velcro wall, a bouncy house relay, Frisbee spin art, a rock climbing wall, and more. I was happy to see that, per Spring Fest tradition, they held a Battle of the Bands and the winner was the opening act for the main event. I was quite miserable, however, at the fact that the sound quality was less than professional. There was far too much reverb and the high volume of the lows caused an incredible buzzing sound throughout the act, but I digress. Despite my years sound engineering from my college radio days, I utilized some self restraint.
My friend and I had actually made some spin art at the Frisbee making station, and while waiting for them to dry outside and for Kel's act to start, we lounged for a bit at my personal favorite Nazareth College study spot, the York Wellness & Rehabilitation Institute. The newer therapy building is full of comfy and cozy spots to either chill or get down to work. When 8:30pm rolled around, my friend and I went to grab our seats for the show. We were able to snag some spots just a few rows from the front. The house music they played to hype the crowd was a very excellent choice which included varying selections of 90's hip hop tunes. At last, to the theme of Kenan & Kel, Kel Mitchell jogged out on stage, waving to the crowd of students applauding him.
Kel proved to be a very versatile actor. I was so amazed at how he could make anything into a funny skit or story. He told some traditional stand up style tales from his childhood and when he was a Nickelodeon actor, but what amazed me is how interactive he made the show. Kel wasn't afraid to give us lines from his previous roles, but did so in a way that honored the old characters. He brought up members of the crowd who were fans of Good Burger, gave them all fry cook hats and name badges, and made them be his backup singers for the classic Less Than Jake collaboration tune, "I'm A Dude". He even let them keep the props after. It was quite hard to take pictures of him during his act, as he was very active and racing about in classic Kel fashion.
In addition, Kel held a short talent show featuring students doing various acts, recreated scenes from his Nickelodeon days, and even participated in an audience Q&A. I had actually gotten to see Josh Peck, another Nickelodeon star from All That, The Amanda Show, and Drake & Josh, when he was at the University of Rochester a couple of years ago, but what truly astounded me was how Kel made the audience feel compared to Josh. While Josh did an excellent job chatting with the crowd and answering questions, Kel made the audience feel like his old friends with whom he was just catching up. Kel brought us up to speed talking about his new show on Nickelodeon, Game Shakers, his wife and future new baby girl, and even hinted at a possible Kenan & Kel reunion by saying they were still buds and they perhaps have something in store for us soon.
To top it all off, Kel invited the crowd to meet him inside in the Nazareth College gymnasium to meet him and take a selfie with him, or in his words, a "Kelfie". After charging our phones, my friend and I went inside to meet him. I didn't really dress superbly that day, doubting that I would get to take a picture with him, but we actually managed to be fifth in line. I got to give him a hug, take a "Kelfie", and chat with him for a bit. It felt like talking with one of my brothers, I totally felt like I knew him all of those years. And Kel just made everyone feel like they were his old friends. He was truly a sweetheart.
After watching his Instagram story, I found out that he was actually on a red-eye flight the night before en route to Rochester. I was so surprised because he did not seem the least bit unrested. It was one of those celebrity moments that you understand why someone became so famous. The level of talent and professionalism that Kel Mitchell had, and still has, is unbounded. Thank you for reading my performance review, keep an eye out for more articles like this by following my Twitter or my Instagram for post updates!
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