Now that you're in college, you'll be wanting to spend as much time as possible avoiding schoolwork. In Seattle, there's no better time waster than live music. For all you underage freshman and sophomores who can't afford fake IDs or don't want to take the risk, be glad you got here when you did.

Until August 2002, finding a good all-ages show or dance club was harder than an astrophysics midterm. "Underage dancing" was actually illegal. That's not a joke. For almost two decades, Seattle youth were oppressed by the Teen Dance Ordinance (TDO), a local law that made it illegal for anyone under 18 to be at the same dance club as anyone over 21 (unless that adult was a parent); the law also required insane amounts of insurance and security at all-ages venues. Such rules made it too expensive and difficult for anyone to successfully operate an all-ages venue. (Footloose, anyone?)

But in August, the Seattle City Council caved to pressure from local activists and replaced the out-of-date ordinance with the All Ages Dance Ordinance (AADO), which revised the age, insurance, and security requirements to make under-21 shows more feasible.

So now you're probably wondering where to go.

A handful of Seattle bars host all-ages shows: Graceland, the Crocodile, and the Showbox are all 21-and-over venues, but if you keep an eye on their schedules you'll notice they do list the occasional early all-ages event (Graceland especially).

There are also a few legitimate all-ages-exclusive venues in the area. The Paradox Theater, on the north end of University Way in the University District, is the most well-known. They host shows a few nights a week and have a mix of everything--unknown local bands, blistering hardcore, more popular rock acts, even a monthly industrial/goth dance night. And in downtown Seattle, on Fourth Avenue, the nonprofit Vera Project (a great all-ages music and art organization) is hard at work revamping their newly acquired space; they hope to be hosting shows again by October.

Then there's the Eastside. Many of Seattle's current favorite bands have come from the Eastside; among the venues that got 'em started are the Old Fire House in Redmond and Ground Zero in Bellevue. Both spots have shows most Friday and Saturday nights, and the Old Fire House has an acoustic night every Wednesday. These places are staples in the all-ages scene, having been around for 10 and eight years, respectively--and they still only charge $5 for most shows.

And soon, there'll be a new venue in Northgate, which is just a few minutes north of the University District. The Northgate Theater, once an old single-screen movie theater at Northgate Mall, is being transformed into Seattle's biggest mixed venue (boasting a 2,400-person capacity). They'll be booking some of the more high-interest bands, including Dashboard Confessional, who are scheduled to play on October 28.

2nd Avenue Pizza (a pizza joint on Second Avenue in downtown Seattle), Secluded Alley Works (an art gallery on First Hill), and Double Trouble (a clothing store on Pine Street on Capitol Hill) both transform into music venues at night. 2nd Avenue Pizza uses their backroom as the stage, while Double Trouble pretty much shoves the whole store's inventory into a closet to make way for the rock.

And of course we can't forget about the infamous house shows. The Punkin House in the University District and the Flophaus over in West Seattle are two of the more well-known show locales. Both have some pretty decent hardcore and punk rock acts coming through from time to time, and it's always just a couple bucks to see a show (when it's not free). If you want to get a schedule or directions, you can e-mail punkinhouse@hotmail.com or flophaus@hotmail.com. Remember, though, these shows take place where people live, so be respectful.

If you're into quieter music, drop by the coffee houses; many of them host live music a few nights a week. Aurafice and Coffee Messiah on Capitol Hill, Mr. Spot's Chai House in Ballard, and the Saffron Cow in West Seattle all have an ongoing schedule of free music.

There is, of course, another option: You can always slap down 80 bucks for a decent fake ID. It's a valid temptation, but thanks to recent developments, you probably won't need it.