Kaiju Big Battel

Sat., June 20, 8 p.m., $18.50, Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE, thetroc.com.

by Holly Otterbein

This show's host, Louden Noxious, refuses to give me his real name. He also rarely breaks character, warning me that Philadelphia better cook up monster-size cheesesteaks for this event and, though the Liberty Bell is already cracked, it'll probably be wholly smashed by Saturday evening.

He's talking, of course, about Godzilla coming to town. Or, more accurately, Godzilla's homies — Dr. Cube, Hell Monkey, Gomi-Man and a dozen other grown-ups dressed as monsters who fight each other in a wrestling ring decorated to look like a cityscape. (Because monsters need skyscrapers to stomp on.) "The idea came about from monster tales, Japanese movies and Godzilla movies," says Noxious. "It's not quite wrestling or action-adventure. It's more like a rock concert and performance art combined."

Indeed, the battle is much more complex than a WWE bout — clocking in at an hour and a half, it has a classic good-versus-evil comic book storyline, features monsters who don't speak English and requires a host to translate it all. But there's at least one way it's similar to Jesse Ventura and his cadre. "If you're weak of heart, don't get near the danger zone. It gets really violent," says Noxious. "Arms get ripped off, it gets bloody. If you're not careful, you'll end up with monster slime or fluid on you."

Sat., June 20, 8 p.m., $18.50, Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE, thetroc.com.