Although the cabaret tradition began in Paris, it is most closely associated with Berlin. The art of cabaret flourished under the post-World War I Weimar government, which practically did away with censorship. What had started in French bars as essentially an open-mic night for poets and other performers mutated and blossomed into a grotesquely magnificent flower.

Berlin cabaret was known for satire, sexuality, cross-dressing, costumes and an intimacy between the performers and the audience, as if they were all in on the same joke. When the dark decadence was squelched with the rise of the Third Reich, the cabaret tradition was nearly relegated to history, with acts in later years drawing on aspects of cabaret as part of a kitschy routine.

To pull off a true cabaret performance today requires a delicate balancing act. Unlike many novelty acts, Berlin's Sin City Circus Ladies walk this tightrope gracefully, wielding a sledgehammer of sexuality and belting out raw rock 'n' roll with brazen confidence. Their show is a visual and musical treat, combining elements of primitive rock, punk, theater and drag shows.

The group is fronted by Trinity and Shambhu, two cross-dressing powerhouses who complement each other on stage like salt and pepper. Trinity's Monroesque sex-kitten image never takes a back seat to Shambhu's hard-as-nails Liza Minelli-meets-Godzilla style. As Trinity works her tambourine with sassy zeal, Shambhu taunts the audience with lurid suggestions.

Their contrasting images and vocal styles serve as a means to bring new life to some traditional music. The ladies are known for bawdy renditions of '50s and '60s blues, soul and country classics, drawing on Trinity's experience as a blues singer on the streets of San Francisco. Their own compositions draw on all these genres with a modern punk influence, creating a sound that is as layered as their makeup.

A multigender, multinational band, Sin City Circus Ladies display a healthy disrespect for convention, challenging traditional notions of drag performers, punk bands and rock classics. And in the finest cabaret tradition, they display an intimacy on stage that carries over to the audience — they are not only performing for you but also with you. They've been labeled a punk act because of the attitude, a psychobilly band because of the stand-up bass and songs from traditional Americana, a drag show since the singers cross-dress — all and none of which are true.