Man, David Cross is lookin' a little grizzled these days. The curmudgeonly uncle of alt-comedy's a bit jowlier; the squint of his long-beleaguered eyes even more world-weary. Give that thick, gray-tufted beard free reign, and his chin would be indistinguishable from the top of Wayne Coyne's head. Chalk the transformation up to Method acting, or at least Method promoting of his first book, I Drink for a Reason. Though the occasionally recycled collection of essays, lists, anecdotes and rants suffers when divorced from his stage persona's withering satirical slant, all the blissfully petulant pieces are back in place for his current monthlong theater tour of all-new standup material (Cross was workshopping premises as late as a month ago on his book run). Next up: Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, of which he told Gothamist earlier this year, “Unfortunately I am contractually obligated to do the Alvin movie. There is nothing, however, in my contract that says I can't show up to work stinking drunk every day though, so I'll have the last laugh.” Have we had one too many, or are we sensing a theme here?

Mon., Sept. 21, 7 p.m., 2009

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