Dylan Moran

If you've never seen Black Books, the cult comedy co-created by Irish comedian Dylan Moran (it's streaming on both Hulu and Netflix, fyi), Moran's humor is difficult to explain. He’s a voluble talker, capable of beautiful imagery perverted in service of making the worst of any situation. If you have seen it, imagine Bernard Black, but somehow more articulate, more sarcastic and a tinch less grouchy. Because underneath the tangled mop of black hair and the verbal tapestry of anger and disappointment he weaves, there is a man who enjoys a bit of whimsy. Not in the sense of silly gags with punchlines, but more a dark delight in how we venal and ridiculous we are as a species. Moran makes a rare St. Louis appearance at 8 p.m. tonight at the Grandel Theatre (3610 Grandel Square; www.thegrandel.com) for his show Grumbling Mustard. Tickets are $35 to $210 (for a six-person booth).