Weekly Music Picks: Working for the Weekend

All of a sudden we've got winter. The bonus prize is that it came late enough that when we leave work at 5 o'clock there's still natural light – soon enough it will still be light when we reemerge from the commute home underground on the T. Until the next few weeks pass and we can taste the summer concert and festival season in the spring air we'll continue to keep jamming through the week to make it to the weekend. This week we're looking at some mighty fine shows to keep you back to your roots – be they heavy metal of the 90's (NIN) or heavy metal of the 80's (Winger) and a little bit of this that and the other that doesn't count as metal.

Thursday, 2/1
Nine Inch Nails DVD Screening
Come profess your Reznor-love at the Middle East, where Interscope Records is screening the soon-to-be released Nine Inch Nails concert DVD Beside You In Time. Bonus: It's free.
Middle East Downstairs, all-ages, 8 p.m., free
Nine Inch Nails: website | Beside You In Time teaser

Jason Moran's Bandwagon Trio
Moran is one of the best jazz pianists on the scene today. He's played with the likes of Don Byron, Christian McBride, and Joe Lovano. But his adventurous albums as a leader the past seven years have garnered critical acclaim and earned him widespread attention as a "rising young star." Featuring Tarus Mateen (bass) and Nasheet Waits (drums).
Regattabar, $20 adv / $24 dos, 7:30pm & 10pm
website | gangsterism on canvas.mp3 | gangsterism on stages.mp3 | purchase

Michael Brook, Lisa Germano
Paradise Lounge, 18+, 8 pm, $10
Michael Brook: web site
Lisa Germano: web site | Messages From Sophia .mp3

Black Music Matters
Berklee celebrates the launch of its Africana Studies program. Cornel West returns to Boston to speak about the role of black music in culture and society, including hip hop, a topic he's written, lectured, and rapped about before. We're not sure if West will perform any tracks from his hip hop/R&B CDs Sketches of My Culture or Street Knowledge (with 4BMWMB). But we do know that a capella group Sweet Honey in the Rock will perform and give a brief talk, a choice which makes sense given that the group's mixture of gospel, jazz, blues, and contemporary choral music is rooted in spirituals, the foundation of all American black music. Berklee's Reverence Gospel Ensemble also performs.
Berklee Performance Center, $25, 8:15pm
Sweet Honey in the Rock: website | wikipedia | purchase
Cornel West: wikipedia | myspace (with 4BMWMB)

Friday, 2/2
Knocks From the Underground CD Release Party
If you're looking to get involved with the local indie scene, you can't do any better than the release party for Knocks From the Underground: The Best of Underplayed Boston, a new compilation of lesser-known Boston-area bands put together by Endless Recordings. Most of the 14 bands featured on the CD (including Tiny Whales, Beat Awfuls, and the Campaign for Real Time) will be playing, making this quite a bargain.
Middle East Downstairs, 18+, 7:00 p.m. doors, $10
Endless Recordings: website | Knocks From the Underground track list
Tiny Whales: website

Winger (!)
80s metal band Winger hasn't always had it easy: ridiculed by Beavis and Butthead, taunted by Lars Ulrich of Metallica in the video for Nothing Else Matters. Bostonist says they deserve another chance. Celebrate the end of the work week by heading out to Allston Rock City, throwing back some PBR's, and watching a hair band try to resurrect its former glory.
Harper's Ferry, 8:00 pm doors, 21+, $17 advance, $20 day of show (tickets)
Winger: KipWinger.com

Roy Haynes Quartet (also Saturday 2/03)
Roy Haynes has played on countless jazz albums, including key recordings by Miles, Coltrane, Parker, Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, and Chick Corea. The legendary drummer brings his quartet to Scullers for two nights.
Scullers Jazz Club, $24, 8pm & 10:30pm
wikipedia | webpage @ drummerworld | shawnuff.mp3 | relaxin' at camarillo.mp3

Josh Ritter
Somerville Theatre, 7:30 pm, $20
Josh Ritter: myspace | web site | Girl In The War
(video, live on Letterman) | Me & Jiggs .mp3 | Thin Blue

Saturday, 2/3
Bill Charlap Trio (also Friday, 2/2)
Jazz pianist Charlap plays the Regattabar for two nights in support of his latest CD interpreting the works of Gershwin. With Peter Washington (bass) and Kenny Washington (drums).
Regattabar, $24, 7:30pm & 10pm
website

The Outfielders, Shills, Christians & Lions, Concord Ballet Orchestra Players
Abbey Lounge, 21+, 9 pm, $9
The Outfielders: myspace
Shills: web site
Christians & Lions: myspace | web site | Skinny Fists.mp3
Concord Ballet Orchestra Players: myspace | web site | live at P.A.'s, July 2006 .mp3

Matt Durutti, C. Fernsebner, and Adrienne Aldredge contributed to this weeks picks