The Mix: Festival of barrel-aged beer and more cool things to see and do in Chicago Nov. 7-13

Julia Rhoads “Rink Life” blends dance, dialogue, storytelling and music along with the visual aesthetics of 1970s roller rink culture. | Benjamin Wardell

Looking for some cool things to see and do in the week ahead in Chicago? Here are some highlights that just might fit the bill:

Dance-theater hybrid

“Rink Life” is being stages at the Steppenwolf 1700 Theatre.

For nearly 20 years, Julia Rhoads, founder and artistic director of Lucky Plush Productions, has advanced her vision of how dance and theater can coexist on stage. Rhoad’s newest work “Rink Life,” created in collaboration with an ensemble of dancer-actor-singers, is a mix of dialogue, choreography, music, humor and storytelling inspired by the visual aesthetics and social dynamics of 1970s roller rink culture. From Nov. 7-16, Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, 1700 N. Halsted, $15-$40; steppenwolf.org.

Canine Improv

The “Funny Bones” event at iO Theater on Nov. 7 will benefit Friends of Chicago Animal Care and Control.

Here’s an improv pairing you’re not likely to see anywhere else. iO comedy maven Charna Halpern is rounding up local improvisers and homeless dogs for Funny Bones, an evening of laughs in which the improvisers, including TJ Jagodowski, The Deltones (Stacey Smith, Tim Sosko, Alex Gardey), Beth Melewski, Cesar Jaime and Tim Lyons, will perform scenes with the adoptable dogs. And for you reptile fans, Alligator Robb of Humboldt Park lagoon fame is the event’s special guest. From 5:30-9:30 p.m. Nov. 7, The iO Theater, 1501 N. Kingsbury. Tickets: $125-$225. Visit ioimprov.com

Tex-Mex Legend

When it comes to Tex-Mex conjunto and tejano music there’s one man you need to know — Flaco Jimenez. The 80-year-old performer is a master of the accordion-fueled Tex-Mex sound, which he introduced to mainstream pop and country via his collaborations with the Texas Tornados, Dwight Yoakam, the Mavericks, Ry Cooder, Doug Sham and the Rolling Stones. For this rare Chicago appearance, he performs with Max Baca’s Los TexManiacs. At 8 p.m. Nov. 8, Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln. Tickets: $42-$45. Visit oldtownschool.org

Master of the drums

Gerald Dowd

Gerald Dowd has been described as “the hardest working drummer in Chicago.” He’s performed on more than 100 albums and worked with artists ranging from Robbie Fulks and Andrew Bird to Mavis Staples and Otis Clay. See just how hard he works when he performs with all 12 bands at Day of the Dowd II, a fundraiser for UI Health Pilsen Food Pantry. The bands include Tributosaurus, Jonas Friddle, Sons of the Never Wrong, The 45s, Sunshine Boys and more. From noon-midnight Nov. 9 on two stages at FitzGerald’s, 6615 W. Roosevelt, Berwyn. Tickets: $30, $15 kids 12 and under. Visit fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.

Rare beer and more

The Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer returns to Chicago this weekend.

More than 200 breweries from across the country converge on Chicago for the Festival of Wood & Barrel-Aged Beer, a showcase of the world’s most rare and exclusive barrel-aged beers plus cider, mead and perry (an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears). Presented by the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, the one-of-a-kind showcase features tastings and a competition with awards presented across 12 categories. Nov. 8-9 at UIC Dorin Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt. Tickets: $85. Visit fobab.com.

Storytelling through art

The artwork of Meleko Mokgosi comprises a new 20-panel installation at the Smart Museum.

Meleko Mokgosi’s large-scale painting installation, “Bread, Butter and Power,” is the newest chapter in his ongoing series “Democratic Intuition,” which explores ideas about the many ways democratic concepts influence our lives, loves and relationships. The 20-panel installation examines feminism in the context of southern Africa and considers the consequences of dividing labor practices by gender. To Dec. 15 at the Smart Museum, 5550 S. Greenwood. Admission is free. Visit smartmuseum.uchicago.edu.

Finding his words

The legendary Booker T. Jones is celebrating the release of his much-anticipated memoir.

Music legend Booker T. Jones celebrates the release of his highly anticipated memoir “Time Is Tight: My Life, Note by Note” and companion album “Note by Note” at a reading-performance-book signing at 8 p.m. Nov. 14, City Winery, 1200 W. Randolph. While he found his musical voice early in the studio beginning at Stax records in the ‘60s, this is the first time Jones has turned to the written page to contemplate his long and interesting career as an accompanist and producer for generations of musicians. Tickets: $45-$58. Visit citywinery.com/chicago.

Mary Houlihan is a local freelance writer.