New Kids on the Block Return for The Main Event

Get ready for this summer's biggest block party as the New Kids on the Block return to The Q tonight. This time they're backed by the crazy, cool pop stars of the '90s TLC and Nelly for The Main Event, where each artist will perform their biggest career hits. A 360-degree, arena-spanning stage will bring the audience up close with the boy band as they perform old-school songs such as "Step by Step" and "My Favorite Girl" alongside newer hits including "Crash" and "10." Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight will also be performing solo hits as they venture out on catwalks. With cannons of confetti and a quick change cam that reveals a sneak-peek between costume changes, this show is sure to heat things up. So we talked to Danny Wood about being back on the road and what keeps him motivated.

Q: What can guests expect?
A: It’s definitely a unique tour with a lot of nostalgia. It’s a girls’ night out basically. You can get together with your friends and get the babysitters and leave the husbands and the boyfriends behind and have a good time.

Q: Will there be any onstage collaborations?
A: It’s very difficult when you’re putting a tour together this size, and everyone’s rehearsing in different parts of the country. We were only in the same spot in Vegas right before the first show. Everyone’s got families, and Nelly goes on way before we do, so it’s not an easy thing to put together.

Q: What do you enjoy most about these shows and how is it different than performing back in the '80s and '90s?
A: For me, personally, it’s being able to share it with my family. I have my daughters out here on the road with me. They’re 16 and 17 and they’re enjoying the road and going to the shows. My dad’s out on the road with me too, and he’s 73 years old. He’s having a blast. That’s the part that’s most enjoyable for me. You definitely have a great appreciation for being able to have a second chance at doing this again and to be able to be playing all these arenas.

Sun Salutations

It may not be as warm as we'd like it this month, but the atypical weather isn't stopping yogis from celebrating the beauty of the sun. This Friday, Free Akron Yoga will be hosting its 4th Annual Summer Solstice Festival at Howe Meadow where participants will perform 108 sun salutations with the rise of the sun.

"It's an opportunity for a very high-energy community of people to come together and celebrate the longest day of the year," says Nancy Holland Myers, co-founder of Free Akron Yoga and co-director of the festival. "The whole idea behind yoga asana is to use breath and use movement to arrive at a quiet meditative state. There's a certain point where it becomes so fluid we literally stop thinking about the to-do list, our iPhones and what happened last Thursday.”

Photo by Litsa Varonis

The gates will open at 5:15 a.m. for visitors to park and register for free with the celebration beginning at 6 a.m. As participants arrive, they will tread down a path lit by luminaria into the field where the festival takes place.

"We hope to circle the entire practice area with luminaria and the effect will be this sweet, kind of cosmic glow," says Myers. "It's going to be magical."

Brian Feltner and The Help will play an acoustic set, creating a peaceful, meditative environment during the practice. Afterward, participants can sample breakfast-related food and drink from Miss Julie's Kitchen and KC Coffee Co.

Nancy Holland Myers
Photo by Lynn Keller Photography

Before the business of summer ensues, Myers encourages people to take a break and head to the picturesque Howe Meadow to welcome the season in peace.

“By doing 108 sun salutes in a beautiful setting like the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, we have that sort of double-dip opportunity to be fully present in our bodies in one of the most beautiful places around."

For more information, visit facebook.com/FreeAkronYoga.