Of all the musical subgenres to embrace, the role of the struggling singer and songwriter is one tough gig. It's bad enough that just about every heart-on-his-sleeve guitar strummer willing to step up to a microphone has the potential to fulfill the job specs. But the under-the-radar lifestyle also requires a frustratingly absurd amount of travel with little financial return. Five years in, Richmond's Dean Fields continues to play the part with the same determined perspective, channeling the earnest, acoustic influences of Jim Croce and Jeff Buckley. Supporting the release of his latest album, “Everything Just Happened the Way That It Happened,” Fields plays Capital Ale House on Friday, Jan. 9, at 9:30 p.m. $5. 780-2537. – Mike Hilleary