55 MORE THINGS WE WANT TO DO THIS MONTH

OCT. 2 | ELECTRONIC

Cerrone

■ The well-coiffed French producer and drummer was behind some of the coolest disco hits of the ’70s and ’80s. Now in his late 60s, he’s playing a set for a rare weeknight installation of Queen!—Smartbar’s long-running dance party. Details Smartbar. Wrigleyville. 8 p.m. $12–$20. etix.com

OCT. 2–19 | THEATER

The Brothers Size

■Set on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast, this moving one-act about responsible auto mechanic Ogun and ex-con Oshoosi incorporates elements of West African Yoruba mythology. The Brothers Size was part of playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney’s introduction to Chicago audiences a decade ago, when Steppenwolf presented his Brother/Sister Plays trilogy; now Size returns as a standalone in the Steppenwolf for Young Adults series.

Details Steppenwolf Theatre. Lincoln Park. $20–$30. steppenwolf.org

OCT. 2–NOV. 10 | FESTIVAL

Chicago Humanities Festival

■Continuing its “Year of Power” theme, the fall portion of this now year-round fest is still where you’ll find the strongest concentration of highlights. Must-see speakers include former Atlantic correspondent Ta-Nehisi Coates, who will discuss his debut novel, The Water Dancer; George R.R. Martin, the septuagenarian author whose novels inspired HBO’s Game of Thrones; and Alicia Garza, activist and cofounder of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Details Various locations. Free–$50. chicagohumanities.org

OCT. 2–MAR. 8 | ART

Mika Rottenberg: Easypieces

■ This media artist’s solo show presents videos and installations that examine labor structures and other capitalism-related subjects, from the obvious (Chinese pearl harvesters) to the unlikely (Tuvan throat singers).

Details Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Streeterville. $15. mcachicago.org

OCT. 3–5 | CLASSICAL

Eternal Rhythm

■Nothing in the adamantly unvisual field of classical music is more fun to watch than a percussion concerto. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and its principal percussionist, Cynthia Yeh, hammering under the baton of the young and in-demand conductor James Gaffigan, deliver the U.S. premiere of a recent specimen by the Israeli-born composer Avner Dorman. And that’s not to minimalize the other, bigger