PERHAPS THE SINGLE most hilarious human being on our great planet, David Cross has been one busy bee the last few years. Mixing wit, sarcasm, and a good blog's worth of research, the majority of Cross' onstage work has centered around the triumphs of the Bush administration ever since "Florida" went down. The actor/comedian, who has released two comedy LPs on Sub Pop (It's Not Funny and Shut Up, You Fucking Baby) acts as that proverbial inspired, intelligent heckler in the crowd, cutting in every time Dick Cheney or Donald Rumsfeld opens their mouth.
So what the hell is he doing in Las Vegas? "I'm standing underneath a sign right now that reads, 'Deep-fried doughnuts and Oreos. $2,'" Cross says. "It's hot. I'm here until fucking August. It's fucking tragic. And if anyone actually votes here, they shouldn't."
Ah. He's making a movie.
Strolling up and down the Vegas Strip and verbally tearing apart everything in sight, the ex-Mr. Show star/creator, ex-Dr. Tobias Funke kills time while waiting to shoot The Grand, a new film penned and directed by Zak Penn.
Cross, who will be opening up for longtime-pals Pearl Jam (along with a recently added Sleater-Kinney), at the Schnitzer on July 20, proudly says that nearly all of his stage banter will come from his time spent in Vegas.
"It's just great here, let me tell ya. You've got your 'real Vegas girls.' You've got your 'lifers.' Your 'buffet people.' Everything's made by slave labor. It's just great."
And while the slot opening for Pearl Jam may immediately look like a mismatch, it's not.
"I met (lead guitarist) Mike McCready back when Mr. Show was beginning its third season," Cross says. "He was a big fan. And he came to our offices—I've still got a guitar that he gave me. Then I eventually met the rest of the guys. It's cool. They're one of the best bands in the world."
The concert is a benefit for the Northwest Chapter of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.
With the walk through the Strip starting to take its toll, Cross begins to head back toward the movie set. But he has a final request.
"Just let all of the people in Portland know that my whole performance will be based around Jim Belushi's book. It's gonna be 30 minutes of loose, lazy rambling about a bunch of shit."