TORONTO - There are hundreds of punk acts and just as many cheeky cabaret combos, but Boston-based duo Dresden Dolls have filled a niche by fusing both genres for a slightly quirky but quite entertaining show.

Such was the case Friday night at Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre where singer/pianist Amanda Palmer and drummer/guitarist Brian Viglione churned out an interesting 100-minute set before a horde of fans, some dapperly dressed for the early evening show.

But both Palmer and Viglione were not initially outdone in the fashion department, taking the stage looking like Second World War generals complete with overcoats and hats. It seemed the perfect wardrobe choice to launch into a cover of Pink Floyd's bombastic, over-the-top In The Flesh.

Dresden Dolls, who hit Toronto last summer as part of the Cyndi Lauper-headlining True Colours Tour, are catching up for lost time with this current winter trek. Palmer spent much of 2007 working on her debut solo album Who Killed Amanda Palmer which will be out this year while Viglione had his own side projects. Yet there was very little rust judging by the manic Girl Anachronism which was part piano recital, part rock.

After the initial salutations, the tension-filled, dramatic and powerful Sex Changes had the audience clapping along with the two members basically making the sound of a foursome. Things took a lighter direction though prior to the plodding Missed Me, with Viglione spelling out the song title for the crowd but Palmer, wearing earplugs, unable to hear. "I said start playing Missed Me!" he shouted humorously as the singer approached.

Part of the band's allure is its ability to sound like an indie rock outfit at one moment and then shift gears into German cabaret, or "Brechtian punk cabaret" as Palmer initially termed the style. Nonetheless, even her occasional raspy pipes (she had been battling the flu recently) couldn't diminish an up-tempo but meandering ditty like Ultima Esperanza or the moody, lounge-like blues oozing from Glass Slipper.

Taking a break from the drums, Viglione strapped on an electric guitar as Palmer cracked up, quickly delivering a speech found in the '80s hit film Back To The Future before the crowd-pleasing A Night At The Roses ensued. This paled though compared to the show highlight featuring Care Failure, singer and guitarist for Toronto group Die Mannequin who warmed the crowd up.

With Palmer taking a stab at drums, and doing a decent job at keeping time, Viglione and Failure churned out the early Beastie Boys' staple Fight For Your Right much to the crowd's delight. "Not too bad," Palmer said. "There's only one problem, I lost my beer."

Although a swinging, jazzy Mandy Goes To Med School was okay, another keeper was the off-kiltered Coin-Operated Boy with its middle portion resembling a vinyl record skipping over and over. Following the creepy Half Jack, and pleased that they created some "excellent Toronto mojo," the Dresden Dolls returned with Bad Habit and the theatrical, steam-gathering Mein Herr with Palmer pacing the stage.

Prior to Dresden Dolls, Toronto trio Die Mannequin made an impression with a rowdy, guitar-soaked garage rock set that had Care Failure scaling speakers and overhangs during a lengthy finale.