For a comedian, the difference between a show at a comedy club and a show at a larger theater is more dramatic than just the sheer number of people.

At a club, the people in attendance may or may not be there to see the particular comedian — some might’ve gone just to have a few drinks. At a theater, the people are paying to see that comic specifically.

But, as Brian Regan points out, doing comedy in a club allows one to loosen up a bit.

“I love the theaters, love the focus the audience has on you,” Regan said. “But one fun thing about the club is that everybody’s so close to you. We’re all friends here — and I can go off on some tangents.”

Regan, who has several cable specials and late-night appearances to his credit throughout his 28 years in comedy, will be heading to the Improv club at CityPlace today and Saturday. Usually, he plays the theater circuit, but Regan decided to head back into the clubs after a seven-year absence.

“I wanted to put a handful on the books,” Regan said in a telephone interview. “We started (in June) in Charlotte (N.C.) at The Comedy Zone. It’s a tad looser.”

He has been honing his act since 1984, having seen stand-up comedy’s popularity rise and fall — from its boom in the late 1980s to its crash in the mid-1990s, and now its renaissance of late.

“I was incredibly fortunate,” Regan said. “I was able to build a rocketship and got off Planet Earth before it exploded. I was able to build enough of a following to survive the comedy implosion.”

Part of why he remained a success is his ability to keep up with the changing market. Regan figured out very early on that he could distribute his comedy recordings on his own, and not have to wait for a major company deem his material worthy.

“I came out with a DVD, I Walked On the Moon, a number of years ago, and it was only available on my website,” he said. “Artists have other avenues other than the major networks and distributors now. It used to be the all-powerful gatekeepers, and you’re asking, ‘Oh, please, can you let me do an hour?’ And you’d end up at a dead end. I’d just rather do it myself.”

Much of the reason behind his sustained popularity is his style. Regan pokes fun without being cruel, and takes on the everyday world without a lot of profanity. And yet, nothing or no one is safe — especially himself.

“I try not to lull myself into being a one-trick pony,” Regan said. “I want to hopefully have my comedy be more of a moving target, and I don’t want to always talk about the same kinds of things.”