Brian Regan riffs on stand-up

Brian Regan

Sunday at 7 p.m.

Benedum Center

Tickets $40.25

Brian Regan… Brian Regan

Sunday at 7 p.m.

Benedum Center

Tickets $40.25

Brian Regan isn’t trying to be appropriate.

Despite being known as a “clean” comedian, renowned for his humor of the everyday, Regan said this is a style that evolved naturally — it’s not the product of a value system.

The Pitt News spoke to Regan about types of comedy, branching out and practicing his material.

The Pitt News: Have you been to Pittsburgh before? What did you think of the city?

Brian Regan: I’ve been there a number of times … I love Pittsburgh. It’s very real and earthy, also depending on which way you enter into Pittsburgh, there’s this dramatic tunnel coming into the city. It’s a pretty cool way to enter a city.

TPN: How did you initially get into stand-up? Did you know you wanted it to be your career?

BR: I was in college and said to myself, “What skills do you have?” and my answer was “none” and then a comedian came and performed at my school and I thought, “This guy doesn’t seem to have any skills, either, so maybe I can follow in his footsteps.”

TPN: You’ve also stayed primarily in stand-up comedy, not branching out into sitcoms or movies — why is that? Is there anywhere you’d like to branch out to?

BR: It would be very self-serving of me to say it was by design. I certainly have tried to get some of those things, but they never really worked out … However, in the past five years I’ve gotten to a place with stand-up where I’m liking what I’m doing. If I wasn’t doing stand-up, I’d hope to be doing something creative.

TPN: What about you do you think helped you achieve success?

BR: I don’t know, it’s kind of hard to put a finger on what people do and don’t hook into … I do try to keep writing and coming up with new material … I like to think I have a quirky, interesting way of looking at the world, and it seems to be catching on.

TPN: Who do you practice jokes on? What are their typical reactions?

BR: There’s a homeless guy down the road I’ll practice on and if he looks up I know it’s good …  No, I’m being silly — I usually do my bits for my wife, but it’s more for the fun of it. Ultimately I just try it in front of a crowd — they’ll let you know pretty quick if it’s good or not.

TPN: I’ve read several bios that say you’re primarily a clean comedian — is that by design or coincidence? If coincidental, why do you think that is? If by design, why do you avoid something so used by comedians?

BR: It’s mostly just how I like to perform, it’s just how I think as a comedian … People think it’s some sort of value thing, but it’s not. For me, it’s just a fun quest comedically to get people laughing about everyday things.

TPN: What are some of your plans for the future?

BR: I hope I’m still doing stand-up. My wife and I went and saw an older comedian named Marty Allen, who’s been around for years. I was sitting in the front row and saw the look in his eyes that showed he loved what he was doing. I thought to myself, “If I could still be doing this when I’m that old, then I’ve got life by the tail.”