For years, Greg Warren has populated his stand-up set with various characters drawn from his St. Louis upbringing. But these days, Warren is making the act more about himself and merely peppering the routine with silly voices.
“I think I’ve kind of gotten away from really well-defined, repetitive characters,” he says. “It’s a little more me. There’s definitely characters and dialogue, but they come in and out more quickly. It’s become more me for better or for worse.”
Living in New York City for the past few years has helped.
“I sold my car in New York,” he says, “and you don’t really miss your car until you have to walk somewhere to purchase an item that you used to bring home in your car.”
Case in point: an ironing board.
“I walked 15 blocks to the hardware store and then thought ‘I’m going to have to walk home looking like a surfer who got really bad directions.’ At my age what do I care about what people think of me? I’m 46 and I guess I still do because I was thinking, 'I’m going to walk outside and someone will yell ‘Nice ironing board, Gertrude!’”
He needn’t have worried. No one gave him s second look.
“That’s the beauty of New York City. If you think you’re doing something weird, there’s someone doing something way weirder right next to you. It was arrogant of me to think that I was going to get noticed with just an ironing board. There are professional freaks in this town. There’s probably a guy walking around with an iron and an ironing board who actually irons stuff. ‘It’s Ironing Board Reggie, give him a dollar.”
Warren then offers a quick blast of the character. “’The Devil put the wrinkles in, but I’m gonna take 'em out!’ So a character like Ironing Board Reggie makes an appearance in my act.”
Showtimes Thursday-Sunday. $10-$15. Funny Bone on the Levee, Newport, 859-957-2000, funnyboneonthelevee.com.
