All By Myself

It takes a specific kind of confidence for a physical comedian to release an audio-only set. Brian Regan built his reputation on frantic pacing and contorted facial expressions, but All By Myself strips away the visual punctuation. He compensates entirely with vocal inflection, applying his trademark bewilderment to the food pyramid, text messages, and a hearing test. The format forces the listener to focus on the writing mechanics of a comic who relies on precision just as much as volume.

Regan self-released the hour in 2010 as a digital download. He recorded the material earlier that year during a run of five sold-out shows at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, breaking the venue’s previous attendance record set by Jerry Seinfeld. The set captures Regan pulling massive theater crowds strictly on the strength of his club-honed material. He approaches the “Balloon Boy” news cycle by focusing solely on the kid throwing up on television. The recording also leaves in a rare break in composure where he cracks himself up mid-joke doing an impression of a lazy horse.