Head to the Hideout the first Friday of every month for the always-something-different offerings of the minds behind The Dollar Store.

What is it, exactly? It's "an evening of readings and performances given by some of Chicago's top literary talents, monologists, performers, and drunks." It's fresh creativity every time, because it springs from a story spun about random items from the Dollar Store presented to a different set of writers, comedians, and improvisers for each event.

The Sun-Times says "some of the best young writers in town" show up, and the show has earned raves from NewCity, the Reader, and flavorpill as well.

Past participants have included short story writers, radio personalities, talk show hosts, fiction magazine editors, dancer/choreographers, improv vets, a few Neo-Futurarians, and your mama.

The Dollar Store is co-hosted by Jonathan Messinger, mastermind of This Is Grand, and Jeremy Sosenko of i.O.'s Late Night Late Show.