“It’s all good, Denver, I got this one.”
Brian Regan had already developed a loyal fan base with his clean, observational comedy before the economy went south and our political infighting turned into something resembling a schoolyard gang war. But his relatable style of stand-up has become all the more popular the past couple years because it offers a respite from the hail of bad news swirling around us.
We spoke with Regan over the phone in advance of his headlining gig at the Wells Fargo Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 20 about his rising popularity, his restless creativity and how he avoids being pigeonholed by critics.
Q: Do you still live in Las Vegas?
A: Yeah, I’m sitting here and I just fed the white tigers. I’ve got my rhinestone cape on. That’s how we live out here.
Heh… I’m sure a lot of people actually believe that.
It’s weird. I met my wife here in Las Vegas, and it’s funny when you say that to people. They’re afraid to ask a follow-up question. We’ve been together 11 years now, but when I first started dating her, people would go, “Oooooh, OK. Say no more.” She has a regular job, but they figure maybe her job entailed having a big feather around her when she walked on stage.
You’re playing the Wells Fargo Theatre here, which is a step up from the Paramount Theatre shows you usually sell out.
Obviously it makes me feel good to be able to take a step up in a market here and there. Denver is one of those places I’ve loved performing at over the years. And as far as where I’m at, I try to not get into it too much in my head. I try not to think of it as a race or a competition. I just like doing the comedy and making a connection with crowds.
You’re also known for writing a remarkable amount of new material, whereas most stand-ups will often tour the same jokes for years.
I learned a lesson a long time ago that if you don’t write, people will stop coming. When I got fortunate enough to get to the level where I was headlining in comedy clubs, it made me feel great, but I got a little lazy with the writing and realized the numbers were starting to drop off. I wasn’t growing or changing or adding to my act, so I got back into writing — which is what I loved anyway.
Right. That element of surprise is essential in comedy.
One of my favorite compliments after a show is for people to come up to and say, “I saw you a year ago and more than half of the stuff tonight was new.”
Do you talk to fans much after shows?
It depends on the situation. Sometimes we have to get to the next market and sometimes it requires a ten-hour overnight drive and as a favor to the driver I try to roll pretty quickly. But there are many times when you can hang out afterwards, and that’s fun.
How do you feel about being described as “clean comic,” along the lines of someone like Jim Gaffigan?
As soon as I feel like I’m getting defined I start writing away from that. A lot of people work towards a hook or an easily identifiable thing and I’ve always tried to work away from that, so maybe that’s why it took me longer to get to where I am. I don’t want somebody to just easily hang their hat on what I’m all about.
I remember early articles saying “Brian Regan’s the guy who always feels like an idiot on stage,” so I started writing other bits about having anger fantasies. Then I was reading “Brian Regan always crouches over and prowls the stage,” so now I stand like a modern human who has evolved. Different comedians have different goals, and mine is to keep my options open.
At the same time, you’ve also developed your own style over the years.
Comedy to me is a wonderful thing and it’s a big umbrella and there are lots of things happening under that umbrella. There’s room for everything. There’s definitely a place for biting, hard-edged comedy and political comedy and all kinds of comedy. I like all kinds of comedy but at the same time I think there’s a place for the kind of comedy that I do, too. I don’t ever try to say that what I do is loftier than what anybody else does, it’s just different.
Yeah, it’s not exactly the cynical, profanity-laden stuff that a lot of stand-up fans are drawn to.
I like the kind of comedy that doesn’t really have a victim. I remember reading this article about humor and they talked about the stereotypical “slipping on a banana peel” thing, and I never found that funny. And this article assumed that was funny to everybody. Researchers looked at it and what people laughed at was somebody’s else’s pain they didn’t have to experience. But that was never part of it for me. I don’t like other peoples’ pain. I laugh at my own pain… But when I say pain it’s a broad term. I can talk bout that and if you want to relate to that, that to me is cathartic. But I don’t like to come from on high and point and say “Look at that dumb person.”
– BRIAN REGAN –
Stand-up comedy. Wells Fargo Theatre, 700 14th St. Saturday, Feb. 20. 8 p.m. $39.50-$47.50. 800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
John Wenzel is the editor Get Real Denver, co-editor of the Reverb music blog and an A&E reporter for The Denver Post. His book “Mock Stars: Indie Comedy and the Dangerously Funny” was recently published by Speck Press. He also maintains a Twitter feed of random song titles.
