Courtesy of 999 EYES

Other articles by Kelly Lewis:

Hip-hop breaks outHip-hop hits the pop culture mainstreamDoing Dirtbag'sRecycling your stuffMeeting to swap clothesNow that's a green thumb!A life of sustainabilityEarth Day: A sustainable lifeCheckerboard Cafe a friendly and speedy neighborhood spotResurgent Hut a bonus for musicians

Construction
Green Valley Heating & Cooling
HVAC Service Tech General
.
MYSTERY SHOPPERS Technical
Unitek USA
Satellite Installers Trades/Construction
FAULK ELECTRIC
ELECTRICAL Education
CESAR CHAVEZ SCHOOL NETWORK
K-12 MUSIC PROGRAM DIRECTOR General
Preferred Capital Management, Inc
Apartment Mgr/Maintenance Trades/Construction
innovative manufacturing
CNC LATHE SETUP

With a name like 999 Eyes you'd expect this troupe to be a little freaky.

And as one of the only traveling freak shows in the world, the folks of 999 Eyes are just that.

Freak shows have a bad rep as vehicles for exploitation, but this group, due Wednesday at Club Congress, is about the beauty of diversity.

"We try to celebrate the differences found in a creative world," says Samantha X, aka "freak momma," a founder of the show, which is based in Austin, Texas.

"When there are a bunch of roses and one comes out purple, people are excited about it."

After teaching about deformities during a massage therapy class, Samantha X started to put together a small museum devoted to human oddities. The museum toured for a time and eventually morphed into a freak show.

"The word freak means one who dances with nature," she says. "We want to give the word freak back to those with genetic anomalies."

The Austin residents who comprise 999 Eyes include Lobster Girl, who was born with missing fingers, and the Elephant Man, who has neurofibromatosis, a condition that has produced lumps and bumps all over his body.

999 Eyes also features a sword swallower, a two-headed cow, Lowrent the Clown and a dark carnival jug band known as That Damned Band.

"The show really empowers people," says Samantha X. "One of the things the performers hate in their real lives is when people pretend not to notice them."

Four years on, the show is based largely on individuals with genetic differences, rather than typical sideshow performers such as those who eat fire or lie on a bed of nails.

Jackie the Human Tripod, who was born with one leg that has no femur, joined the show three years ago in response to a radio add that called for freaks.

One of the high points in her performance comes when she chops karate boards in half.

"I'm in a wheelchair and people don't expect me to be able to do gymnastics or break boards," she says.

"It's really fun to show those kinds of things. We're trying to re-create the freak show and what it was, in a newer sense."

Popular in the 1800s and early 1900s, freak shows went through a transition as medicine began to explain genetic anomalies and freaks became the object of pity, rather than awe.

"They were actually taken to court and people tried to take away their abilities to work as a performer," says Samantha X. "They continually won their right to exhibit themselves, but for 40 or 50 years people were too afraid to do it for fear of repercussions from the public."

The "human oddities" in 999 Eyes tell audiences about their conditions, often in medical terms, and express what life is like for them and how they've adjusted to their differences.

The members say they are on a mission to reinstate freaks as the queens and kings of the circus world. A main goal is to inspire others to love who they are.

"I want people to be proud of who they are and be able to express themselves artistically no matter what they look like or how they feel," says Jackie the Human Tripod.

People who have been hiding physical deformities or freakish talents often approach troupe members after the shows, says Jackie.

"They are crying and thanking us and feeling comfortable with themselves."

Lowrent the Clown, who joined the troupe three years ago, says the show presents a "different view of normality."

"Those things that pull you apart and make you unique —hold onto those," he adds. "Those are things that make you special and those are things you should be proud of."