BAEBLE CONCERTS: World/Inferno Friendship Society at The Spiegeltent

When the traveling Spiegeltent docked in New York City in late 2006, it brought some varied acts to the South Street Seaport area. There were vaudeville shows, cabarets, cross-dressing knife jugglers, and the like. Most shows were one-time deals, while a handful of high-demand acts enjoyed a two-night run. And then there was the World/Inferno Friendship Society, the only rock show with enough punked-out glitz 'n' glamour to warrant a week-long residency at this notorious venue.

So here they are: the World/Inferno Friendship Society in all their tuxedoed glory, playing a high-octane mix of punk and cabaret to a circus tent full of sweaty, ecstatic fans. There's lounge piano, jazz horns, screamed vocals, distorted guitar, auxiliary percussion, audience interaction, crowd surfing, and mosh pitting. Who needs giant elephants and tightrope walkers? The World/Inferno Friendshop Society is all the freakshow you could ask for, and the circus has never rocked this hard.

- Andrew Leahey