Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Submit your events to metrotimes.com/calendar. Be sure to check venue websites for COVID-19 policies.
Polk Penguin Conservation Center
The Detroit Zoo's penguin exhibit might be one of the zoo's most beloved exhibits, and after a little over two years, it's finally back open. The Polk Penguin Conservation Center closed to the public in September 2019, as the zoo needed to make waterproofing repairs and other upgrades. Aside from routine maintenance and additions like more nesting areas and a second snow machine in the habitat, a portion of the floor has been replaced with glass flooring which will allow zoo visitors to see the penguins swim below their feet. New additions were not just limited to the center — the penguins have gained some new friends as well. The center now has over 75 macaroni, king, rockhopper, gentoo, and chinstrap penguins. "The chinstraps settled right in and became avid swimmers. Once the lights come on for the day, TJ, Haiku, Kringle and Turtle immediately dive into the pool," Bonnie Van Dam, Detroit Zoological Society's Curator of Birds, said in a press release. "They also had no problem integrating with the other species. Penguins thrive within larger colonies, and they are just exceptional at mingling."—Alex Washington
See website for hours; Detroit Zoo; 8450 W. 10 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-541-5717; detroitzoo.org. Entry into the Polk Penguin Conservation Center is included with general admission to the zoo; tickets start at $14 for adults, $11 for children.
Rezz
Canadian DJ Rezz, née Isabelle Rezazadeh, is known for her hypnotic stage presence. (She wears goggles with LED lights, and performs against a massive video backdrop.) For her latest tour, in support of her new record Spiral, due this fall, Rezazadeh is promising "the biggest production I've ever had by far," adding that the forthcoming album "will showcase an evolved version of my music while also maintaining a very hypnotic sound which originally captivated my audience." Eprom, Of the Trees, and A Hundred Drums are also on the bill. —Lee DeVito
Doors at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18; the Masonic Temple; 500 Temple St., Detroit; 313-832-7100; themasonic.com. Tickets start at $29.
Nicolas Uncaged
Detroit's deranged tribute to the prolific actor Nicolas Cage ("our one true god," as event organizers describe him) is back. Like others, the folks behind the annual Nicolas Uncaged event took a year off due to the pandemic, and with the virus an ongoing concern, this year's event is going to be a little different, but the organizers are trying to still have some fun with it. Though masks are encouraged, organizers are urging a formal gala-style dress code, so get working on those Met Gala-worthy looks. (But, you know, with a Detroit spin on it. We know you don't have money.) Organizers say they're limiting ticket sales at the 700-person Senate Theater to allow for social distancing, and are requiring proof of vaccination at the door. Party for a good cause: Funds raised from the double feature (2002's mind-bending postmodern comedy-drama Adaptation and 2018's psych-horror Mandy) will go toward the Senate Theater and Midtown's Cinema Detroit, which have been hurt by the pandemic. —Lee DeVito
Doors at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19; Senate Theater; 6424 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-894-0850; senatetheater.com. Tickets are $25.
Beach House
Over the past two decades, Baltimore indie rock duo Beach House — vocalist and keyboardist Victoria Legrand and the guitarist Alex Scally — has earned a following for its sparse yet mesmerizing take on dream pop that has found fans in the worlds of R&B and hip-hop. (The Weeknd sampled "Master of None" and "Gila" on the tracks "The Party & the After Party" and "Loft Music," respectively, on his 2011 debut mixtape House of Balloons, and rapper Kendrick Lamar sampled "Silver Soul" on his 2012 track "Money Trees.") For its latest record, Once Twice Melody — a double album presented in four chapters, out on Sub Pop on Friday — Beach House expands its palette, bringing in a live drummer and string ensemble to flesh out its sound. Despite the sonic tinkering, you'll always know a Beach House song is a Beach House song, however. The band does what it does, and does it well. —Lee DeVito
Doors at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19; Royal Oak Music Theatre; 318 W. 4th St., Royal Oak; 248-399-2980; royaloakmusictheatre.com. Tickets start at $40.
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