Before he takes the stage at Talking Stick Resort Jan. 29 through Jan. 31 (with a fourth show was just added at 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 30), Jim Gaffigan, author, actor and comedian, chatted with AZFoothills.com about what audiences can expect, his writing process and what’s on deck for 2015.

 

What does it feel like to have to add a fourth show because tickets are in such high demand?

It is great. Any time I have a reason to spend a another day in Arizona in January, I’m excited. It is always very flattering. It feels like a combination of a lot of amazing things. It is Super Bowl week so there are people arriving on Wednesday who don’t even know about the show who will probably want to go.  

What can the audience expect?

It is hard to describe my act without making it sound bad. I am observational comedian. I focus on the mundane. An exploration of the id. What we do and what we really want to do. I am that thought in the morning where you don’t want to get up and you just want to eat bacon all day.

How do you keep it fresh for yourself?                         

Always writing. Standup comedy, I love it so much. You really are the writer, producer and performer in a lot of ways. New material is the lifeblood of any comedian. Coming out with new material, it is so fun. There is no script you have to stick to.

What is your writing process?

It is ever-evolving. I write with my wife. Sometimes that’ll be an idea-generating process or an editing process. Lately, I have been writing a fair amount on stage where I will just start on a topic. I will understand my point of view on it. But that changes. I tweet a lot so sometimes the ideas come from a tweet that has come up.

You are applauded for being funny without being vulgar. Is that important to you?

I curse in everyday life. The fact that it is clean or family-friendly...I just got lucky that it comes out that way or I am interested in topics that don’t necessitate cursing. I am from a small town in Indiana so I am not the type of person who is going to be cursing at the store in front of strangers anyway. I have kids, and I don’t have to worry about my kids hearing what I say. I don’t have to make excuses for it.  

How does being a father impact your material?

It is a balancing act. This is coming from a guy who wrote a book about parenting. I don’t want to be a comedian that was exclusively [about] having children. I try to balance it. I always talk about having kids and what it’s like for me to have kids. I attempt to do it in small doses. I will do an hour or an hour and ten minutes and maybe five minutes will be about my kids.

What goals do you have for the coming year?

I just got done guest hosting “The Late Late Show,” and my wife and I were shooting a TV show for TV Land and is going to air on Comedy Central. It is a pretty packed year already. I will have a lot of opportunity for creative expression. I just want to make sure I am not lazy; I want to make sure every episode I write with my wife is good. Colin Quinn said to do every stand up show like it’s your last. And that is a great point. You just want to make sure you don’t look back with any regrets from a creative stand point.