Entertainment + Nightlife: Cheap Amusements

Amateur Night
National headliners take Acme Comedy Company’s stage every week. But on Monday nights, local amateurs brave the crowds, making the open-mike show a favorite destination for free after-dark entertainment. Show starts at 8 p.m. 708 N. 1st St., Mpls., 612-338-6393

Late-Night Laugh
The Brave New Workshop is notorious for its late-night shows, which are just a buck. The BNW cast performs an unstructured, completely improvised comedy show—all based on audience suggestions. Plus, happy hour drink specials begin an hour before the show. 10 p.m. Friday and midnight Saturday. 2605 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls., 612-332-6620

Become a Swing Kid
The Wabasha Street Caves hosts Swing Night every Thursday. Fork over $7 for a dance lesson with Dave the Caveman at 6:15, then show off your new moves to live music by regular acts, including the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra, Beasley’s Big Band, and others. 7 to 10 p.m. 215 S. Wabasha St., St. Paul, 651-292-1220

Read a Book, Have a Beer
Book clubs don’t typically fall under the “nightlife” category, but then Books & Bars isn’t your usual gathering of bookworms. The free monthly social event at Bryant-Lake Bowl includes a 7 p.m. discussion of that month’s read, followed by drinks, mingling, and typical bar behavior. 810 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-825-3737

Catch the Late Show
A night at the movies isn’t cheap, unless you’re at a second-run theater. For $2 ($1 on Tuesdays!), moviegoers at GTI Roseville 4 (1211 Larpenteur Ave. W., Roseville, 651-488-4242) view a somewhat recently released flick alongside an audience that knows that a somewhat run-down theater is just part of the experience. Movie prices at Riverview Theater (3800 42nd Ave. S., Mpls., 612-729-7369); Plaza Maplewood Theatre (1847 Larpenteur Ave. E., Maplewood, 651-770-7969); and Hopkins Cinema 6 (1118 Main St., Hopkins, 952-931-7992) also stay in the $1 to $3 range.

Wrack Your Brain
At 9 p.m. on Sundays, it’s often slim pickin’s for activities. Thankfully, that’s when the 331 Club hosts Chuck & Sean’s Trivia Night. Chuck Terhark (Como Avenue Jug Band) and Sean McPherson (Heiruspecs) challenge bargoers with two rounds of trivia questions for a grand prize of $25 toward your bar tab and a $40 gift certificate to the Jon Oulman Salon. Even if you don’t win, you can always squeak by with a small tab by sticking to the 331 Martini, always priced at $3.31. 331 13th Ave. NE, Mpls., 612-331-1746

Sing Your Heart Out
You won’t find a more mixed crowd than the one at the Uptown VFW. But if you’re strapped for cash and craving a way to unwind, karaoke at the VFW—Thursday through Saturday nights—is a surefire way to have fun on the cheap. The secret’s out, so get there early to secure a table! 2916 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls., 612-823-6233

Get with the DJ
With a nightly, prime-time happy hour starting at 10—$4.95 apps, $7 specialty cocktails, half-priced wine—and a rotating mix of DJ, lounge, and house tunes, the cover-free entertainment at Azia’s Caterpillar Lounge is always a good option. The atmosphere—like the crowd—is über hip in that NYC–East Village sort of way—and there are pretty martinis and pretty cheap food. 2550 Nicollet Ave., Mpls., 612-813-1200

Art Experiment
Rogue Buddha’s monthly iQuit: Experimental Music Series features local avant-garde jazz and other experimental music in an intimate gallery space. The musicians draw on a mix of electronic, electro-acoustic, jazz, free, avant-garde, and experimental styles. There is a $5 suggested donation. 9 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month. 357 13th Ave. NE, Mpls., 612-331-3889