Going out

Moose calls: The flashy and splashy Vampire Moose brings its raw, hard-driving brand of metal spiced with progressive arrangements and some fine instrumental work to town for a night full of music. The quartet will be with Milkweed and Soul Casket. 10 p.m. today, Sudsy Malone's, 2626 Vine St., Corryville, $5 in advance, $7 at the door. 751-2300.

Snide Santa: New Edgecliff Theatre celebrates the season with the deliciously skewed vision of David Sedaris and his Santaland Diaries. Inspired by his strange experiences working as an elf in New York, Diaries is the NPR commentator's off-kilter take on the season. 8 p.m. today, continues through Dec. 28, Performance Gallery, 3900 Eastern Ave., Columbia Tusculum, $15, $12 senior/student. (888) 588-0137.

'Black Nativity': Cincinnati Black Theatre breathes new life into Langston Hughes' Black Nativity with a modern adaptation of the classic work that celebrates Christ's birth with gospel music and praise dance. One of those shows guaranteed to get hands clapping and toes tapping. 8 p.m. today through Saturday, 3 and

7 p.m. Sunday, Xavier University's Gallagher Student Center Theatre, 3800 Victory Parkway, $18. 421-1100 or 241-6060.

The goods

Looking good: Cincinnati never looked bigger, brighter or more beautiful than it does on Cincy Deck, a deck of playing cards with photos by J. Miles Wolf. Backs of the cards are all Fountain Square at night; the 54 fronts are all photos of Cincinnati scenes. The jokers are flying pigs; the aces are landmarks (Union Terminal, Music Hall); the kings are sports arenas; the queens are hometown riverboats. Non-face cards are random scenes. The decks are $7.95 at bookstores, gift shops and Wolf Photo, 43 E. Fourth St., downtown. 281-6555.

Holiday Treats

Blazing lights: If you haven't been there yet, don't forget the Festival of Lights, the area's largest display of lights - 2.5 million of them blazing throughout the zoo's 67 acres. Then warm up with a belt of hot chocolate, maybe some ice skating and a visit with Santa. 5-10 p.m. through Jan. 3, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale, $11.50, $9 seniors, $6 kids 2-12 and members free (parking $6.50). 281-4700.

Planning ahead

24 hours out: Pretty competitive kind of soul, are you? Think you're the best at board games? Try your luck with other gamers at Friday Night Games, a twice-a-month session at Borders where guests square off at a ton of board games. You're also invited to bring your own game and teach the group how to play. 7 p.m. Friday, Borders Books, Music and Cafe Northgate, 9459 Colerain Ave., Colerain Township, free. 245-9898.

48 hours out: Acoustic musicians Mike Marshall and Chris Thile, the latter of Nickel Creek, roar into town for a night of tunes from their new Into the Cauldron CD, a little gem full of everything from Bach to Charlie Parker and even a mandolin interpretation of a 200-year-old British fiddle tune. 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Madison Theater, 730 Madison, Covington, $16 advance, $20 at the door. (513) 779-9462.

Also 48 hours out: Students from My Nose Turns Red Theatre's youth circus take over the Aronoff's Jarson-Kaplan stage for the New Millennium Circus Holiday Extravaganza. Look for jugglers, tightrope walkers, stilt walkers and serious hams age 18 and younger doing their thing. 2 p.m. Saturday, Sixth and Walnut streets, downtown. $8. 241-7649.

Jim Knippenberg

E-mail: jknippenberg@enquirer.com