Indie comedy hero David Cross has done pretty much everything except write a book. Oh wait, now he’s done that too.

David Cross has a habit of inspiring equal parts reverence and rage in anyone who pays attention to him.

A cult-comedy hero on par with the late, great Bill Hicks, Cross makes a point to love and hate his environment as vocally and intensely as he possibly can. That’s led to a fiercely loyal fan base over the years, as well as enemies ranging from Larry the Cable Guy to Jim Belushi.

But despite his cynical, barbed reputation, Cross is actually a nice guy. “People say, ‘You seem like an angry comic,’ and I’m like, ‘Well, I’m not that angry,’ ” he said over the phone last week. “There’s not a whole lot I can do about it.”

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Have you had your dosage of vitamin B today? We thought not.

The streets of Denver are overrun with suds. Suds as in beer, that is. Excitement for the annual Great American Beer Festival brews all year long, and this time the city decided to extend the hoppy happiness across 10 days.

The first annual Denver Beer Fest is a collection of beer-themed parties and events spread throughout Denver and the Front Range. Of course, the big beer festival is still the main event. It’s sold out, however — a sad reality for those of us who procrastinated on buying tickets for the unlimited 1-ounce samples of almost 2,000 beers. Not to mention a commemorative tasting cup! And we missed out.

Beer lovers all over town are staring at the ground glumly, kicking the dust at their feet. But take heart: this is Colorado, after all, and there’s beer everywhere. Much like the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, you don’t need to officially take part in the festival to enjoy the fun it offers.

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Breakfast on Broadway is standing room only on weekends. The owners of this new-ish Englewood restaurant took no time finding the killer app: straightforward breakfast, brunch and lunch fare (eggs Benedict, omelets, sandwiches and some of the city’s more absurd — and delicious — pancakes) with plenty of parking out front.

And Bloody Marys. Lots and lots of Bloody Marys.

You’ll find folks lingering over long breakfasts here, as well as time-strapped adventurers fueling up for the drive to the mountains. There will likely be an order of praline pancakes at every table, either being shared among the assembled or jealously guarded by its orderer.

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Lewis Black: the king of quivering indignation.

Lewis Black is not the sort of man you’d want as an enemy. His withering, painfully hilarious critiques of everything from brain-dead politicians to bottled water and milk continue the fired-up, free- speech tradition of stand-up comedy (think Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, David Cross) while reaching millions via Comedy Central and his numerous film, TV and writing projects.

We chatted with Black in advance of his Sunday, Sept. 20 set at CU- Boulder’s Macky Auditorium ($20 for students; $35-$40. TicketsWest) about his college fan base, busy schedule, Comedy Central projects and why — and how – America has changed over the last few years.

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America’s great, ain’t it?

The weather’s supposed to be cooling down, but really, how can it? The Colorado Firefighter Calendar is making its debut tonight. The big unveiling goes on Friday, Sept. 18 at City Hall Event Center (1144 Broadway), and if it’s anything like the judging event, it’ll be a raucous good time.

In March, this humble reporter helped out as a judge when the 15 firefighters for the 2010 calendar were selected. It was hard work, sitting there watching shirtless (mostly) firefighters parade for the judges and audience, but the fruits of our labor are worth the effort.

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