Brothers in flipper arms

Just as homosexuals reclaimed the word “queer,” the performers in the 999 Eyes Authentic Vaudevillian Freak Show are reclaiming the word “freak” and showing the world just how freakishly awesome their genetic anomalies are. Among the ranks are Lobster Girl and her claw hand, Elephant Man and his lumpy skin, Flipper Boy and his short arms, Lil’ Miss Firefly and her 27 inches of fire-breathing spunk, and Jackie the Human Tripod and her three-limbed acrobatics. The Texas-based troupe also boasts sword swallowers, a dime museum with a two-headed cow and some pickled pugs, and an Eastern European circus band that sounds like Gogol Bordello playing Irish pub songs with Tom Waits. Tonight, 999 Eyes’ “Un-Politically Correct Tour” inhabits the Westport Beach Club (4050 Pennsylvania, 816-931-2224), where it will likely freak out the beach-volleyball crowd. Doors open at 9 p.m., and tickets are $11.

Wed., June 11, 9 p.m., 2008