Tonight is a GREAT night for live shows. In addition to the obvious touring bands coming on through (the Pipettes, the Hives) and a local favorite Rocky Votolato, there's a showcase for local bands going on at the Sunset that's well worth your attention…

It's the CD release show for the Ball of Wax Audio Quarterly, a local quarterly CD highlighting great local independent music in the Northwest. This is the tenth (yes, TENTH!) edition, and the new volume is jam-jacked with nearly 20 tracks, including those playing at the release show tonight.

Here's the official word:

The release show will be Thursday, November the 1st at the Sunset Tavern. We will open up the doors around 8 and get started shortly thereafter. The cover will be $6, and that will include a copy of the Ball of Wax 10 CD. Sadly, under 21ers will be turned away. (We are looking into doing two shows for the next volume, one all ages and one with booze.)

The evening will have 8 or so sets of music. The first half will be dudes, the second half will be bands. From last to first, it will look like this:

Dept. of Energy – http://www.dept-of-energy.com
Diminished Men – http://www.diminishedmen.com/
Minivan – http://www.myspace.com/minivan
Webelos – http://www.myspace.com/seriouslysmith
Robert Deeble – http://www.robertdeeble.com/
Levi Fuller – http://www.denimclature.com
Casey Ruff – http://www.myspace.com/caseyruff
Caleb Thompson (no Web existence yet)

Sounds like a fun way to spend a Thursday night in Ballard to me…