Comedy has been described as a combination of tragedy and perspective; and when it comes to tragedy, no one's more familiar than Artie Lange. His new book Crash and Burn is a personal tale of drug addiction and the long road to recovery, hitting rock bottom and rising up from past mistakes. Lucky for him, his gruff and uncompromising perspective on these events makes even the most tragic stories hilarious. As a sharp-tongued New York City-bred comedian, nothing's safe from his quick-witted scrutiny, including himself. Lange's signature sensibilities carry over onto the stage flawlessly and for years he's been an audience favorite both on stage and as a regular voice on the Howard Stern Show. Lange performs tonight at 8:30 at the Palace Theatre. Tickets are $49 to $89. (Stoops)
Africa & Byzantium considers the complex artistic relationships between northern and eastern African Christian kingdoms and the Byzantine Empire from the fourth…