While I was being amazed by Cat Power on the main stage, photographer Sarah Gerke vanished. I called her on her cell phone after Cat Power's set. Gerke had wandered off to the Vegoose Cabaret Tent and was thrilled and excited by the performance she saw there. She spent the rest of the weekend entranced by Yard Dogs Road Show. Below are her photos and description of this carnival troupe that seems a perfect match for a big top tent:

"Hi Richard, here are the photos of the best thing I discovered this year at Vegoose: the house band, Yard Dogs Road Show. They played both days in the cabaret tent. Last Vegoose, I avoided the cabaret tent because it was so stuffy. But they improved the design this year by opening up the sides and so I could more comfortably enjoy acts inside the tent.

The Yard Dogs Road Show was so impressive. I went to four different performances. Their show is a mixture of comedy, magic,singing, dancing, burlesque, musicians and probably a few other things that I'm forgetting. There was a woman who sings and plays the trombone while another plays the accordion. There were three burlesque dancers — one added vocal flourishes. Among the men there is a percussionist with a homemade drum set, a sword-swallowing act, and a barker who offered comic descriptions of the different acts.

Even at the Sunday afternoon show, when they had been performing for two days straight, they looked fresh and energetic, never failing the high energy. I lost count of the men that I overheard saying that they were in love with one of the ladies onstage. But it wasn't just the men that noticed their beauty. The majority of the audience, myself included, seemed in awe by the finale of each performance that we saw."

(Photos: Sarah Gerke / For The Times)