Decades ago, before the first rock and roll idols turned music into a product, musicians played music the way cobblers mended shoes and carpenters built homes. It was a trade like any other job and men did it for work, for wage. Young men would pack their station wagons with gear and travel from city to city to play their songs. For these musicians, it was not only all they wanted to do but all they could do. They were not in search of fame or fortune. It was simply a life in music.

Welcome to the world of Will Hoge.

Hoge's sacrifices are second nature to him. He is what some refer to in the business today as a "career" artist, a dedicated, straight-talking guy more interested in longevity than a hit single, in building a fan base than winning a Grammy.

In life, and on his brilliant new album, Draw the Curtains, Hoge follows in the footsteps of musical archetypes like Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, Hank Williams, Van Morrison, Patty Griffin, Neil Young and Bob Dylan.

The bar opens at 12noon and Hoge plays from 6.30pm