Nashville songwriter Will Hoge set out to become a history teacher, but he left Western Kentucky University to pursue music. The rustic, soulful roots-rock sound of his independently released album Live at the Exit/In drew attention from Atlantic Records, which signed him in 2002 and produced his first studio album, Carousel. Though the stint with Atlantic was short-lived, Hoge went on to carve a niche in the Southern country-rock genre and release six more records, including 2009's The Wreckage, a record inspired by a car crash that nearly killed him in 2008.
Will Hoge
Tonight @ Shank Hall, 8 p.m.
