Brian Regan brings clean comedy to Tivoli

IF YOU GOWhat: Brian Regan, "All By Myself" Tour.When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday.Where: Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St.Admission: $39.50.Phone: 757-5050.Websites: www.ChattanoogaOnStage.com, www.brianregan.com.

According to Brian Regan, banana peels are not funny.

"I don't laugh at people slipping on banana peels. Never did," the comedian wrote in an email. "It's supposed to be a comedy formula -- that people like to laugh at other people's uncomfortableness -- but I never got into that."

Regan, who will visit the Tivoli Theatre on Thursday, has appeared on "The Tonight Show," "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Show," "Today" and countless other shows. He has been selling out theaters since 2005 and making people laugh for far longer than that.

He was, perhaps, a better comedian than academician. Regan confessed he was not a strong student, finding his way to comedy while in college.

"I thought, 'If only I could earn a living making others laugh as hard as I make my professors laugh ...' " he wrote.

So he set out to do so, making his first appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman" in 1995, and learning along the way lessons he never learned in a college classroom.

"My comic philosophy is this," he wrote: "Try to ignore the guy in the front row who hasn't smiled once since I hit the stage a half hour ago."

And while Regan said his comedy is influenced by all the people he's known -- his parents, siblings and friends -- his latest album is titled "All By Myself."

It might seem, however, that is the last feeling he wants one of his audience members to have, as is evidenced by his theory that it's not funny to laugh at a person slipping on a banana peel.

"If I saw someone slip on a banana peel, I'd want to take him aside, tell him how I feel dumb when I slip on banana peels and make him feel good."

Upcoming Events