After a long day of Fringing, the Late Night Cabaret is the place to purge. Sidle up to the bar and commiserate with the guy who sat next to you at that minimalist experimental dance debacle. Order a beer for the actress who boldly bared her naughty bits for you in the name of art. Tip your hat to the dude who still put on his one-dude show, even though you were the only one who came to the 11 a.m. performance.

Of course, if you haven't seen enough, you know, art, the Cab's got spectacles booked nightly: puppet-and-toy shenanigans by Great Small Works, fucked-up Catskills comedy by Murray Hill and electronic party rock by Kandy Whales. Oh yeah, can't forget good ol' SideShow Bennie, who shows up every year to stick nails into his fuckin' nose.

For the second year in a row, the big, comfy NoLibs space formerly known as Ortlieb's Brewery/Poor Henry's is serving as the hub for the Fringe/Live Arts official alcohol consumption. It's not uncommon for the drinking to start before the costumes are shed and the grease paint is washed off, giving the Cabaret the festive freak show feel of the Star Wars cantina. And there's plenty of room for regular folks who just want to pound Yuenglings and hit on New Paradise hotties.

Late Night Cabaret, Sept. 2-4, 7-17, 11 p.m.; Sept. 5, 8 p.m.; free, 829-51 N. American St.