Talking With Greg Hahn – January 9, 2023

Ira Sternberg: It's time to talk about Las Vegas with Ira. Each week, Ira David Sternberg talks with the celebrities, entertainers, writers, and personalities who make Las Vegas the most exciting city in the world. And now, here's Ira.

Ira Sternberg: When you need me, my guest is a very funny comedian, Greg Hahn, who is headlining in the Laugh Factory in the Tropicana Las Vegas January 9th through the 15th. For ticket information, go to troplv.com. And for everything about Greg Hahn, go to greghahn.com. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Greg, welcome to the show.

Greg Hahn: Ira, thanks for having me on the big program.

Ira Sternberg: Absolutely. And I already have come up with Baby Vegas. I've actually got some great taglines I want to throw by you and see if you like any of them to use for your future advertising.

Greg Hahn: All right, I like it. I like them already.

Ira Sternberg: Okay, here's one. "Vegas Babe, hit me 47. Keep hitting me."

Greg Hahn: All right, yeah. All right, take the 700. What is this, a free rum and coke? Hey, by the way, I was at the buffet. I asked the girl out at the buffet last time I was out there. She said no. I asked her if she wanted to go out. She said no, too much on her plate right now. Come on, everybody, come on. I promise not to do that joke. Let's start the interview.

Ira Sternberg: All right, here we go. Some taglines that you could use for Greg Hahn's future advertising. Here we go. "Greg Hahn: Man of a Thousand Twitches."

Greg Hahn: Fine, that's not bad.

Ira Sternberg: All right, here's another one. "Greg Hahn: Kinetic Conveyor of Comedy."

Greg Hahn: Pretty good. Good. I like it. I like all these things. The last one, more writing than I have.

Ira Sternberg: Of course. And then here's the next one. "Greg Hahn: The Gene Krupa of Comedy."

Greg Hahn: Buddy Rich! Buddy Rich! Buddy Rich! Have to update it a little bit.

Ira Sternberg: Yes, you're right. And it's because of your drums, and that's why we'll get into that, of course. And then my last one, "Greg Hahn: I Should Be Locked Up."

Greg Hahn: That's a good one. Okay, excellent.

Ira Sternberg: When did you get started in comedy? I mean, you must have been very young when you realized you were different and crazy, right?

Greg Hahn: I guess so, but I started comedy late. You know, I remember we had a comedian come to our college, and they paid him ten thousand dollars. He bombed incredibly, and I thought, "Man, that's his job?" I remember he rolled off campus, I saw him, and he had a real pretty girl with him. He looked all happy, like, you know, just nothing was wrong. I thought, "That guy just totally bombed and made a ton of money. You know, I could bomb like that for half the price."

Ira Sternberg: Absolutely.

Greg Hahn: Do you remember? I just thought right away, early on, I thought, "Man, that looks like it beats working." But I still was in the Marine Corps, and then I had a corporate job, and then I started comedy. So I got at it a little bit later, but still, it's okay. It all worked out well.

Ira Sternberg: Just to show you I'm listening, I want to know how you know he got paid ten thousand dollars?

Greg Hahn: Somebody must have told me.

Ira Sternberg: Oh, okay. Did you ever meet that guy later on in your career?

Greg Hahn: Yes, but I mean, that's how I must have found out.

Ira Sternberg: Did you ever find out? Did you ever meet the guy afterwards once you got into...?

Greg Hahn: No, I never did meet that guy.

Ira Sternberg: Okay, never ran into him. So prior to the comedy, you were in the Marine Corps. You actually were—this is hard to believe, ladies and gentlemen—a captain in the Marine Corps, right?

Greg Hahn: That was my rank before I got out, but I spent most of the time as a second lieutenant, then first lieutenant, then captain, and then out. Then they threw me out. I didn't get thrown out; I got an honorable discharge. But yeah, it was the great... I'll tell you, the Marine Corps, for an organization where everybody wears the same uniform, you know, the same thing, and you learn the same lingo and whatnot, it's... I've never met so many unique madmen individuals, very, very funny guys. Like, I got a friend still today, Horrible Henry, I met in the Marines. He likes to go shark fishing, uses himself as the bait. I mean, these guys are... you know, in the civilian world, you go, "Oh, that guy's a madman." In the Marines, you really do meet madmen. You know, they're great, brave, lunatic, funny guys. So the Marines did help my comedy career. And, you know, you got to get in front of people, like a platoon, and march them around like, "Forward march!" and all that stuff. It's odd when you first learn how to call cadence when you get in front of a bunch of guys like that and boss them around, tell them how to walk. Well, being a comedian is a little bit similar in that you get in front of an audience and you boss them all around with your stupid jokes. So I think that... I don't know if I would have been a comedian had I not been in the Marine Corps.

Ira Sternberg: Fascinating. Plus, it gave you some discipline.

Greg Hahn: Boy, that was a good speech. Go ahead.

Ira Sternberg: Yeah, no, I was gonna say, you got to learn discipline as well, right, in the Marine Corps?

Greg Hahn: I guess so. Yeah, yeah, of course you do. Of course you do. But I don't know if that helps you now.

Ira Sternberg: No, right.

Greg Hahn: But the fun part is you learn how to be a lunatic, and then being a real comedian, you know, you turn that into a career.

Ira Sternberg: So at some point along the way, you decide to go from the military to comedy, which is not a segue that most people make, but you did. And what was your first gig like? Do you remember?

Greg Hahn: Well, my first open mic was a disaster. You know, with comedy, you just let the bombing begin. That's how you get started out. You spit out a bunch of what you think is funny, and you start out, you have like two to three minutes of material. And then, let me tell you something, after 30 years, you have 27 minutes of material. It's worked out. No, you just keep showing up, you bomb, bomb, bomb, do well, and over time you start, of course, but you know, you get better. Yeah, but I just kept showing up with my pants on, and in time, I know how to do it.

Ira Sternberg: And there's a parallel with the Marine Corps because they also say, "Let the bombing begin."

Greg Hahn: Hey, good one. Hey, all right, not bad. And I don't even have a drum set here.

Ira Sternberg: Wow. Were you always playing drums, like as a kid, or did you learn that also after the Marine Corps?

Greg Hahn: No, I learned that as a kid, starting in fourth grade. Yeah, and Buddy Rich was my favorite drummer. I'd come racing out when he was on The Tonight Show. My folks would wake me up, I'd come running down the hallway to see Buddy Rich play. And I think I kind of modeled my comedy a little bit after him. You know, I like it fast, furious, and aggressive. And if they say, "What kind of a comedian did you try to imitate or act like?" Maybe a little bit of Rodney Dangerfield, but mostly I like to answer Buddy Rich.

Ira Sternberg: I love it. In fact, I almost used Buddy Rich in my example for you on the tagline, but I went with Gene Krupa just as a historical reference to the world of big bands and music. And obviously, I flopped because I should have said Buddy Rich.

Greg Hahn: You did not flop. Gene Krupa was great. Buddy Rich loved Gene Krupa. No, it was all great, great, all good stuff.

Ira Sternberg: Excellent. Do you get a chance to practice when you're on the road? Because you're on the road a lot. You're very popular, not only in performing in clubs, but you do a lot of corporate gigs, which I want to talk to you about as well, because your humor, you would think, would be a little off the wall for corporate gigs, but it works very well. So, when you're on the road, do you practice drums, or do you take drums with you? It's kind of hard to get into the Greyhound bus, isn't it?

Greg Hahn: No, what I do is when I go home, I practice about five minutes a week. But I listen to music on the road. You can listen to music, and unlike comedians who are supposed to be original, you write all your own stuff, a drummer, since I'm not a professional drummer, I can pick and choose whatever I can do. In other words, you can imitate people, you can steal from them as a drummer, a hobby drummer. So it's fun. I watch guys that practice a lot, put it that way.

Ira Sternberg: You just have fun with it, in other words, right?

Greg Hahn: Yes, yes. But what I do is if I do run into an opportunity where I get to play in a band, I'll take one song, and I usually just use the song as the metronome to my solo. I do everything in the world that you're not supposed to do as a drummer, and then I'm done. One song, I do all my solo, all my tricks, everything, and I'm done. If they say, "I'll play another song," no, no, I refuse because I've done every single trick I know with the one tune. That's the key. Ruin one song and get out.

Ira Sternberg: Did you ever, because you talked about bombing a lot initially, but once you got to the level that you're at now, and you're, as I say, I don't introduce a lot of my comedy guests with the words "very funny," but in your case, I do because I just find you hilarious. I've tried to analyze your comedy. It's impossible because...

Greg Hahn: Give me it. Tell me what it is.

Ira Sternberg: I think when people watch it, they start off by saying, "When's he gonna stop doing this?" And then about four minutes in, they think, "I guess this is what we're doing."

Greg Hahn: It is fun to watch people kind of like stymied or like befuddled, and then in time start laughing. It's fun to watch people start to get it. It's fun when a couple shows up, and say the man brings his wife, and he's laughing his head off. I like seeing her scowl at him for laughing at me so much. And then in time, it's fun to win her over. I know, I do enjoy that. I do enjoy that.

Ira Sternberg: Did you ever just think that's hilarious?

Greg Hahn: Did you, because they're like, "What are we looking at? What is even going on?" I've had that happen before in my act, where someone will just all of a sudden, one time I was performing, I remember in Orlando, and some guy just all of a sudden just yells, "What's going on?"

Ira Sternberg: I agreed with him. I didn't know either.

Greg Hahn: Okay, another tagline: "You either get Greg Hahn or you don't."

Ira Sternberg: But you do.

Greg Hahn: Yeah, I know, of course. "You either get Greg Hahn or you don't." But you do.

Ira Sternberg: Did you ever encounter, in the last five, ten years, did you ever encounter one audience that just you just couldn't get going, and you looked at, you go, "Well, I know it's not me. It's got to be the audience." And maybe you find out later they're all on drugs or something. I don't know.

Greg Hahn: When you perform in front of people that don't speak English, that's a challenge.

Ira Sternberg: Yeah, that would be good.

Greg Hahn: I've done that several times. You know, you got to slow it down. You know, you gotta...

Ira Sternberg: I would think the physicality would get them, though. They would understand that, right?

Greg Hahn: You know, exactly. I do go heavy with that stuff if they don't speak English and whatnot. But that's the biggest challenge. If you go around Europe or here or there or wherever. I was in front of a bunch of Russian people before, you know, and I'm a Russian company in America or whatever, and they didn't get anything. But whatever. Yeah, it happens.

Ira Sternberg: What are you gonna do?

Greg Hahn: It happens. You just show up, like, what are you gonna do? Quick, how could I have made that show better? I torture myself, and I think, what comic would have really rocked that audience? You know, who would have really done well there? A lot of times, maybe a crowd worker, you know, because I'm not interested in what the audience has to say. Where are you from? Alaska. What do you do? I raise zebras. Okay, anyway, I was in the Jimmy or whatever I'm gonna talk about, you know?

Ira Sternberg: But maybe a crowd worker would have done better in this or that. But no, most shows go great. Las Vegas and that room, the Tropicana, I love the place. Love it. I'm genuinely having a good time up there. So I think that always helps.

Greg Hahn: Yeah, the Laugh Factory. Well, there's a party in the green room. There's always a party in the green room that spills out to the stage.

Ira Sternberg: Well, that's always good.

Greg Hahn: Yeah, my act is sort of like, here's my act. This was the idea behind it, Ira. It's like you're at a party, you've had two, three beers, and you're about as happy as you can be, and that's what I try to recreate for people. I'm not pushing the envelope. It's goofy, you know, it's ridiculous.

Ira Sternberg: I don't think you could, if you were sending someone to analyze you, Greg, I don't think they could. Which, of course, is why a lot of psychiatrists gave up as well. But I'm talking about the audience.

Greg Hahn: Hey, the men's room has nine urinals. That's about the ladies yelling, "Get the hell out! Let me keep going." You know, do you remember?

Ira Sternberg: What did you just say?

Greg Hahn: Do you remember the first time? Happy birthday, everybody. It's Valentine's Day. Thanks for coming out on New Year's Eve. Merry Christmas. You know, whatever. You're like, "What? What's going on?"

Ira Sternberg: You have to be somewhat lucid to pay attention to your act. In other words, you can't drink too much and enjoy Greg Hahn, because otherwise you'll think you're going crazy. So you have to kind of be somewhat sober to do it. Do you remember the first time that you performed in Las Vegas? Do you remember where it was and when it was?

Greg Hahn: Yeah, at the Riviera, I believe, which is no longer with us.

Ira Sternberg: But you are.

Greg Hahn: Right, the Riviera. It's gone now, right?

Ira Sternberg: Yes.

Greg Hahn: Yes, over there. And the Tropicana, well, now it's all Tropicana. Well, I still go around, but Tropicana is my favorite.

Ira Sternberg: Do you have any favorite Las Vegas stories of all the times...?

Greg Hahn: Well, there's one time I was in the morning, I was taking a walk, and I saw this beautiful girl sitting at the bar all by herself, early, she was drinking. I thought, "Holy smokes." You know, it would be a little bit off the normal routine, walk over there, order a beer in the morning, sit down, and say hello to her and talk to this strange beautiful girl, right? So I walked in my room and took a nap instead.

Ira Sternberg: How's that going?

Greg Hahn: That's why I don't tell stories on my show, you know? Anti-climactic.

Ira Sternberg: Yes, evidently, you're the only guy not to have fun in Las Vegas.

Greg Hahn: Okay, I can see that.

Ira Sternberg: Prostitute? It was beautiful.

Greg Hahn: Now, before you start talking to yourself, "Hey, maybe she's just a beautiful girl from Iowa that showed up with her family. They're not awake yet, she just wants to gamble for fun. So she came down early, she's waiting for her nice family to wake up, and it'd be fun to meet her." Nah, she's a hooker and you know it.

Ira Sternberg: Well, you can always pay the price and still go back to your room.

Greg Hahn: No, I'm right.

Ira Sternberg: Now, when you look at the different kind of gigs that you have, you've got, obviously, performing in comedy clubs and touring, but you also have corporate gigs. So how do you get word of mouth going? It's not even you that does it, I'm sure others do, that you perform at corporate gigs, because I know you do a lot of them.

Greg Hahn: Well, you know, I was on that Bob and Tom Show out of Indianapolis in the Midwest. They were on a million, they've got a lot of affiliates, and they mention it a lot. And then the best, the most advertising I've done is, number one, the Bob and Tom Show. Number two, I try to do a good job. I try to make sure that whoever hired me doesn't get fired. You know, when I perform, I try to do well. That's the key to advertising, do well.

Ira Sternberg: Yeah, exactly, fulfill your contract.

Greg Hahn: Yeah, they talk, people talk, and you get a call from another guy. Yeah, that one keeps ringing.

Ira Sternberg: Do they at least, in general, when you do a corporate gig, do they feed you as well?

Greg Hahn: They offer you dinner, but I don't like sitting down. I'm such a [expletive] before I perform, or on stage, I don't like sitting down or holding still. Plus, if you lose your great star quality, I like, you know, coming on stage like they haven't seen me before. Sure, the distance. I usually turn down the formal meal, and that's why you'll see me after a big show in front of like 500 people, by myself at Taco Bell, you know, 30 minutes later.

Ira Sternberg: Are you the guy that was performing tonight?

Greg Hahn: That's me.

Ira Sternberg: Or you went back to the hotel, and in the lobby, was that girl sitting at the bar? And you say, "Oh, wait a minute."

Greg Hahn: Now, rumor has it you were raised in South Florida. Is that true?

Ira Sternberg: Correct.

Greg Hahn: That's correct, Boca Raton.

Ira Sternberg: You seem to have, from my point of view, you seem to have an East Coast, not an East Coast accent, but an East Coast vibe, and yet you were raised in South Florida. So how did that work?

Greg Hahn: I don't know. I was born outside of Pennsylvania. Where was I born? Bryn Mawr, I think. And then, you know, we moved down to Florida when I was young. But I guess East Coast is correct. Yeah, East Coast, Midwest, that's where I've spent most of my life.

Ira Sternberg: Well, you have the East Coast energy.

Greg Hahn: Is that it? Okay.

Ira Sternberg: I think that's what it is.

Greg Hahn: I think you're right. I think you've done more analysis about me and my act than I ever have. I appreciate it.

Ira Sternberg: Absolutely. I have a whole printout here in the background and everything, your time in jail, everything, it's all here. Tell me about that. You were also...

Greg Hahn: You're awesome.

Ira Sternberg: You're also in a film.

Greg Hahn: Nobody's perfect.

Ira Sternberg: No, that's true. You're right. You're right. You were also, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, were in a film...

Greg Hahn: Oh, what, that Louis film?

Ira Sternberg: Yeah, there was another one that you were in. I'm trying to remember the...

Greg Hahn: I just did another one with Paul Rodriguez. I did another one, and I've done a couple.

Ira Sternberg: Oh, the one that I was thinking of is called Tomorrow Night. You were in an independent film, Tomorrow Night, at the Sundance Film Festival.

Greg Hahn: Right, right, correct. A thousand years ago. And I remember I had to act opposite Steve Carell, and I remember calling my girlfriend at the time and saying, "This guy can't act. He can't even memorize his lines."

Ira Sternberg: Really?

Greg Hahn: I said that. I remember saying, "Acting's so easy. You memorize it, you spit it out, what's the big deal? They fired this guy from Chicago. He's like, I remember saying, 'He's the big wig out of Second City, he can't even memorize his words.'"

Ira Sternberg: So tell us about the new film gig you're just mentioning about.

Greg Hahn: Oh, whatever, something I just did with Paul Rodriguez. We'll see if that comes out. I think it's coming out.

Ira Sternberg: Did you have a speaking role or just an extra?

Greg Hahn: Speaking, I said something, yeah. I just want to make sure. I think I'm a prison guard. He's checking out of prison.

Ira Sternberg: I can't wait. You mentioned the former girlfriend, which leads me, of course, to conjecture. It has to be tough to have a girlfriend or spouse when you're traveling all the time. How does that work for you, or does it?

Greg Hahn: Uh, uh, uh, well, I don't know. I'm a single guy, but it's worked fine because when you want to break up, you say, "I just travel too much."

Ira Sternberg: But also, I'm not against it.

Ira Sternberg: Okay, fair enough. Do you find that you attract a certain type of female in the audience when you're performing?

Greg Hahn: No.

Ira Sternberg: No? That was a quick no.

Greg Hahn: My line when I come off stage is, "Okay, now hear me out." It's not a chick act, you know? Yeah, I know the guys that are real dark or dirty or drug guys, those attract women. You know, I've got like some type of a Romper Room performance. I don't think it sells towards the babes.

Ira Sternberg: Well, I think the immature ones, yes.

Greg Hahn: Really?

Ira Sternberg: Well, sure, Romper Room. I mean, of course, that's a little below immature, but still.

Greg Hahn: Too immature. Yeah, it probably wouldn't work out.

Ira Sternberg: So you mentioned Rodney Dangerfield as a potential role model or...

Greg Hahn: Yeah, right. Yeah, I saw a video of myself when I first started, and I thought, "Why was I doing an impersonation of Rodney Dangerfield? Why was I talking?" You know, it sounds so close. It looked to me to be almost like an impression. But I just like the jokes moving quick. I guess when I watch comedy, initially, maybe still today, I don't like to wait too long for the funny part, you know? Bring on the funny part.

Ira Sternberg: Yeah.

Greg Hahn: I've got an act with all punchlines and no setup, so no one knows what's going on, but they're laughing.

Ira Sternberg: Well, that's because you're moving all around the stage, so they're laughing at, you know, it complements it in that sense.

Greg Hahn: Yeah.

Ira Sternberg: How did you finally, moving away from Rodney Dangerfield and, of course, Buddy Rich, how did you finally decide on the act that you do, which I suspect is pretty close to your personality, your regular personality, or off-stage personality, and then you just exaggerate slightly for the benefit of the audience and for comedy. But how did you work that out to be what it is today?

Greg Hahn: Let's see, how did I work it out? I think trial and error. You know, it's my... the style that I kind of imagined that I wanted. Ridiculous. I wanted to be ridiculous. I want people to forget about... life is tough, Ira. I don't want people to come and they've got big problems out there. They do, absolutely. And I want them to come in and forget about all that stuff. That's the goal. Not dig into it and remind them of it and make a joke out of it, which some guys are good at that. Mine is not talk about anything serious and just let people forget. I'm so ridiculous that they forget about all their troubles. That was the idea.

Ira Sternberg: But just... but just... but it's not successful unless everyone's laughing the whole time. So just, you know, showing up, going on stage 80 bazillion times and trying to make it funnier and funnier. And it's the funniest it's ever been. Everybody come on out.

Greg Hahn: And when you mentioned earlier...

Ira Sternberg: I'm in my prime.

Greg Hahn: You are. You're in your prime. In fact, you even order prime rib, but not before the act, after the act, so you can have something to eat.

Ira Sternberg: I need to have you around to write some tags. Are you gonna show up this week at the Trop? I'd like to meet you.

Greg Hahn: Yeah, absolutely. I have to come see you.

Ira Sternberg: Come on into the green room. They got a big booze bar.

Greg Hahn: Wow, nice. Okay.

Ira Sternberg: I don't have to pay, do I? Oh, okay.

Greg Hahn: When you evolved away from Rodney and from Buddy Rich and you created your own style, I'm just trying to think, and I'm a semi-student of comedy, I don't think that there's anybody that's quite close to you. I see remnants of the old Steve Martin in a way, some of the silly stuff he did, but you're at a totally different level with that stuff.

Ira Sternberg: Does that make sense?

Greg Hahn: Because I haven't matured out of it, you know?

Ira Sternberg: Yeah, well, he's now the very serious statesman, yes.

Greg Hahn: Do you think that you'll always stay Greg Hahn, or do you think you'll be Greg Hahn Part Two and you become...?

Ira Sternberg: I think I'll get even more Greg Hahn. I think I'll get even more ridiculous. My goal is to always try to be funnier and more entertaining. No, that's what I'm looking... I don't want any lulls.

Greg Hahn: Age is not a barrier, so no.

Ira Sternberg: When you're 90, you're gonna be the funniest.

Greg Hahn: It doesn't necessarily mean, you know, more moving around or this or that. I just want it to be... whatever is funny, I want it to be funnier. Whatever. And I think it's better than it was two years ago. I'll watch stuff from, yeah, two years ago or something and be like, "Wow, why was I doing it like that?" You know? I'll watch an old TV appearance and just think, "Unwatchable." It's amazing that I've had the success that I've had. So yeah, I just like to get better and better and funnier and funnier for people.

Ira Sternberg: That's good. So do you tape every time you perform? Do you tape it so you can review it?

Greg Hahn: I do, I do. And that's what's so great about Las Vegas. You get to do two shows a night, and you go back to your room, listen to it, and, you know, analyze it, critique it, take these words out, take those words out, you know, just get the... I try to get to the funny part.

Ira Sternberg: Unless you're distracted going back to your room to review the tapes because there's a young lady at the bar.

Greg Hahn: Well, I might say hello.

Ira Sternberg: Yes, of course. Now, I know you have a family. Do they understand you when you come to visit them, or they visit them?

Greg Hahn: What do you mean I have a family? You mean my... well, I have a mom and brother, yes, like that.

Ira Sternberg: That's what I meant. I didn't mean to imply you were the parent of an unwanted kid. What I meant was you have brothers, sisters, parents, aunts, uncles, that kind of thing.

Greg Hahn: Yeah, yeah, I got that kind of stuff. No, they're all... they're all... they like it. They like that. I don't let them come to the show. The show's so ridiculous. I let my parents come to see me at the Riviera, and I bombed unbelievably. So that was the end of family people watching me perform.

Ira Sternberg: But they could watch you in terms of television or going on YouTube and seeing what you do, right? So you should get feedback from them that way, right?

Greg Hahn: They do that, but that... you know how it is with your family. You're actually funnier than your stage act. Because I'll tell you what, here's a funny story. One time I was watching TV, my father was there, and I pop up on Comedy Central, and he clicks the clicker and goes to the next channel. He turns to me and says, "Well, you talk so damn fast." Which I found very funny and a relief. I don't want to sit there watching me. That was the funniest thing that could have happened.

Ira Sternberg: Well, they'll eventually figure that out, I guess. Maybe they won't. Do you have a book in you?

Greg Hahn: Oh, sure, but I don't think I'll write... I'll be surprised if I write a book. But of course, I would think of details. I think everybody's got a big story. Like, what's your story? You know, interviewing people in Las Vegas. You've got a huge story. We don't know a thing about it.

Ira Sternberg: Yes, I like to feature my guests rather than me.

Greg Hahn: When I talk to you in the green room, let's find out about you.

Ira Sternberg: All right, that's fair.

Greg Hahn: That's fair.

Ira Sternberg: Yeah.

Greg Hahn: But you've been interviewing people since, what, the '80s or so?

Ira Sternberg: Before that even.

Greg Hahn: Yeah, a long time.

Ira Sternberg: A long time.

Greg Hahn: Interspersed with time in the gaming industry and writing and doing all kinds of stuff.

Ira Sternberg: Yeah, public relations.

Greg Hahn: Well, people out in the audience, everyone's got this big crazy story, trials and tribulations. You know, we've all got a big thing. I think comedians get too much attention, I guess, because we're up there for, you know, jumping all around and telling jokes.

Ira Sternberg: Oh yeah, exactly.

Greg Hahn: You know what I like to think, really? Most people in the audience have a more important, in my mind anyway, they've got a much more important job than I do. And they say that public speaking makes people so nervous. If I don't do well, people look at each other and go, "He was unwatchable. Want to get some ice cream?" It doesn't matter. But the people in the audience, you know, you got policemen, you got doctors, you got electricians. If they don't do their job, you know, everybody's dead.

Ira Sternberg: You're right. Whereas you could die on stage and they don't care.

Greg Hahn: No, they'd be like, "We'd like a refund."

Ira Sternberg: Do you have a favorite comedian other than yourself that you enjoy?

Greg Hahn: Who now?

Ira Sternberg: Yes, or in the past, either way. You mentioned Rodney, of course.

Greg Hahn: Well, when I first came out, you know, everyone... I liked Brian Regan when I first started. You know what happens as you get 100 years old is you start to get competitive, and at least in my case, you do become your own favorite comedian. Like, I used to walk into a comedy club and you'd see the pictures on the wall of all the different comedians. When I first started, I thought, "Oh man, that comic is great. He's great. She's great. Man, I don't even belong here. These people are so good." Now you walk in, fast forward decades, you walk in, you go, "Hack. Hack. No way. Okay, these three guys are dead. No good. This club was lucky I showed up. Not the best thing that's been here in three years."

Ira Sternberg: Well, especially if some of those guys are dead, you do have an advantage.

Greg Hahn: Yeah, but it's weird.

Ira Sternberg: Before I let you go, last question. What do you see in the near future, in the next five, ten years? I know you said everybody has a book in them. Do you want to do more film work? Do you want to incorporate it with more stage work? Or what do you see in the next five, ten years?

Greg Hahn: I have a great... it'd be fun to have a great big act and include the drums. Remember that guy Victor Borge?

Ira Sternberg: Oh yeah.

Greg Hahn: Victor Borge, he was so clever with his piano.

Ira Sternberg: Yes.

Greg Hahn: I would like to figure out... we need to figure out something like that with a drum set. But also play drums very well, and I don't know, some combination of doing my show and then doing some very funny thing, but playing drums like a lunatic and filming a special like that.

Ira Sternberg: That's a nice goal.

Greg Hahn: Yeah, and it's a great way to leave it.

Ira Sternberg: All around the country.

Greg Hahn: Yeah, but I haven't recorded it. And something that people could enjoy, that'd be fun. That'd be a good product to have, I think.

Ira Sternberg: So the bottom line is just to get funnier when people show up and watch me. They're highly entertained.

Greg Hahn: That's what I see.

Ira Sternberg: More of that.

Greg Hahn: More of that. I'm lucky to be able to do it.

Ira Sternberg: You are, and we're lucky to hear you. And that's a great way to leave it. My guest has been comedian Greg Hahn. He's headlining in the Laugh Factory at the Tropicana Las Vegas January 9th through the 15th. For ticket information, go to troplv.com. And for everything about Greg Hahn, go to greghahn.com. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. And Greg, thanks for being on the show.

Greg Hahn: Thanks, Ira. We'll see you over there at the Trop.

Ira Sternberg: See you next time.

You've been listening to Talk About Las Vegas with Ira. Each week, Ira David Sternberg talks with the celebrities, entertainers, writers, and personalities who make Las Vegas the most exciting city in the world.