Many incredible bands like The Who emerged in the early 60s in England and really changed the course of music completely, being part of the "British Invasion". The incredible Rock and Roll scene in the United Kingdom continued to be strong in the following years and many incredible bands appeared, including Led Zeppelin. The Who's main songwriter, guitarist and sometimes singer Pete Townshend did not always have good things to say about Zeppelin. But what is his opinion on Zeppelin's vocalist Robert Plant? What is Pete Townshend's opinion on Robert Plant Pete Townshend was never a big fan of Led Zeppelin's music but always praised Jimmy Page as a guitarist. But when it comes to Robert Plant, although he didn't criticize the musician, he said that Plant was inspired by The Who's vocalist Roger Daltrey. He said that in an radio interview with Jackie Brambles in 2023 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage). "I think by that time (the early 70s), we became aware that Led Zeppelin was snapping at our heels. Eventually of course in heavy Rock terms overtook The Who. But I think Robert Plant was a shrieker. He copied the way that Roger (Daltrey) looked on stage, you know. (Plant) had his own thing but you know, Robert Plant was somewhere between Roger Daltrey and Steve Marriott from the (Small) Faces. He found his own feet in the end but I think Roger was aware that he had to really sharpen up and he did." Pete Townshend continued: "(Plant) started to really regard his voice as an instrument and to really take care of himself. He didn't use drugs, he didn't drink a lot. He had his issues, his eccentricities but he really looked after himself. The rest of the band would be living hard without question but as I said Curiously, according to Townshend in an interview in the 90s, in the early days of the band when Daltrey decided to leave the group for a brief time, Plant went to see them perform three nights in a row. Townshend and Entwistle were dividing the vocals during those shows without Daltrey and Plant offered himself to become their vocalist. However, not much after that Roger decided to return to the band. Pete Townshend would like to form a supergroup with the members of Led Zeppelin [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD-MdiUm1_Y&pp=ygURbGVkIHplcHBlbGluIDIwMDc%3D[/embed] Although he is not a big fan of the music made by Zeppelin, Townsend said in an interview with Los Angeles Times in 2022, that he always felt something good could happen with a supergroup formed by both bands. "I’ve always felt there was a real potential for something explosive and nuts with the Who and Led Zeppelin. The principals in Led Zeppelin are much more musicians than they’re perceived to be by the heavy-metal fans who just think it’s about heavy (things)," Pete Townshend said. Talking with Rolling Stone in 2015, Pete also praised an often overshadowed member of Zeppelin, who is John Paul Jones. He said that he is a fantastic musician who always liked to experiment. So he could bring many interesting things to the table if Zeppelin someday reunited and recorded something new. "The person that I’ve thought a lot about since John Bonham’s death is John Paul Jones. He’s a beautiful looking man and a beautiful musician. He’s a fantastic experimenter in modern electronic music and other things, and he’s sort of been sitting there. It would be interesting to see what he could bring to a new Led Zeppelin project. I think he was much more in the front line of Led Zeppelin music on keyboard work because nobody else in the band played it. It was a prog rock era in respect to him," Pete Townshend said.The post Pete Townshend’s opinion on Robert Plant appeared first on Rock And Roll Garage.

Gotta hand it to Gen Z—their tech savviness and sarcastic humor is a potent combination for comedy. Add to that a blatant disregard for workplace decorum, and you’ve got a recipe for some grade A viral entertainment. Mike Hege, a realtor at Pridemore Properties in North Carolina, recently learned this after asking the company's 27-year-old video marketing manager to make a video for his Instagram and TikTok pages.The employee did as asked, but took on some, shall we say…creative touches that Hege certainly didn’t expect.As the phrase “Asked my Gen Z employee to edit a video for me, and this is what I got!” appears on screen, viewers witness a compilation video made entirely of Hege taking various inhales, presumably before going into whatever spiel he had intended to be recorded.Essentially, this employee showcased the infamous “millennial pause” in action. Over and over again. She even threw in some awkward hair zhuzhing for good measure. Watch: See on Instagram Clearly this employee was onto something, because the video has already racked up a little over 4 million likes on Instagram. Several viewers suggested a raise was called for.“Give her a raise because this 100% caught my attention far more then whatever you were going to say,” one person wrote. Another added, ““Her audacity is so respectable tho.”Of course, just type in “Letting Gen Z Edit My Videos” on TikTok, and you’ll see that Hege isn’t the only one giving his videos the Gen Z treatment.Check out this one from the Goodwill of North Georgia. Poor fella giving the presentation made the mistake of saying “it’s okay, he’ll edit that out” after making a flub. It was, of course, not edited out. @goodwill_ng We've definitely got things? ♬ original sound - Goodwill of North Georgia “Gen Z is so unserious I love us,” one person commented.There’s also this delightfully quirky one from the Poe Museum, home of “a wide variety of chairs”…where you’ll learn that “you can never have too many flat Edgars.” @poemuseum We’ve got chairs at the Poe Museum! #edgarallanpoe #Richmond #poe #PoeMuseum ♬ original sound - The Poe Museum “Gen Z in the workforce is my favorite thing about life,” a viewer wrote.As for Hege and his employee, he told TODAY that his company wanted their social media presence to reflect “authenticity” and “humanity,” and that the Gen Z employee completely succeeded in her task. “This was the editor’s way of showcasing that we’re real people and that we can have fun and be on the lighter side,” he said, adding that she’s been “crushing it” since her employment began in February. So maybe that raise isn’t so far off after all. This article originally appeared on 7.15.24

Self-care. It's something that has been co-opted by wellness influencers and gurus that somehow always involve spending money on something luxurious. Self-care is often branded as things like pedicures, vacations and hour long massages at the spa but according to Dr. Raquel Martin, we've been doing self-care all wrong.Martin is a licensed psychologist and recently uploaded a video where she explains what self-care is truly supposed to be–it's not indulgent. At least indulgence shouldn't be an all the time expectation of self-care though she acknowledges that the wellness industry has monetized the decadent vision of self-care. Martin explains that having self-care propped up as something that is indulgent isolates people who cannot afford those types of activities.The psychologist goes on to share how she practices self-care, surprising viewers, "not responding to every call and if I do not have the bandwidth to have the conversation, stating that I don't have the bandwidth to have the conversation." She also says she says no to things she doesn't want to do, setting a financial budget, and not drinking caffeine after 4 PM. Things Martin listed are things a lot of people don't think about as self-care but in actuality, self-care is defined by taking care of one's self. This means practicing self-care is getting in a few minutes of exercise a day, drinking more water or spending time with friends watching mindless television. You don't have to spend money to care for yourself. Commenters were shocked and thankful for Martin's clarification on what self-care is actually supposed to be. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dr. Raquel Martin-Psychologist (@raquelmartinphd) "Love this list!! As a massage therapist, I have to call out the misconception that massage is indulgent. I'm always telling my patients that self care is more than a bath. I will be sharing this list with my patients. I'm also trying to make massage more accessible," one person writes."Thank you for this post. I’m internalizing your advice to see how I can apply. You resonated with my thoughts on so many levels. However, you also provided some clarity and food for thought/fuel for action," another says."I really appreciate what you said about pallet cleansers! Sometimes I get frustrated with myself because I'm not able to read and consume and learn about all the issues different people are facing. It's really important to me to learn about those things, not just for awareness, but also so I can do something about it. But self care is so important throughout that, like leaving my phone in the other room, or watching my comfort shows like you said. I often read kids books or TV because of how horrible the world is right now, and I need something extremely wholesome to balance it out. Also, workshop? I'm not sure what that means but I like learning from you. Thanks," someone shares.So maybe it's time to collectively ditch those indulgent expectations of self-care and really take a look at ways we care for ourselves instead. This article originally appeared on 7.15.24

If you were to look at Megan Montgomery's Instagram account, you'd see a beautiful, smiling woman in the prime of her life, her youth and fitness the envy of women the world over. You'd even see some photos of her with her husband (#datenight), with comments saying things like "Aww, gorgeous couple!"But beneath her picture-perfect feed was the story of a woman in an abusive relationship with her husband—one that would start with his arrest shortly after they got married, and end 10 months later with him shooting her to death in a parking lot. In a Facebook post, one of the people who was out with Megan the night of her murder detailed how her estranged husband had come to their table, put his hand on her neck and shoulder, and escorted her out of the building.She went with him willingly, but anyone familiar with abusive relationships knows that "willingly" is a subjective term. He had reportedly threatened mass violence before. Perhaps she was trying to protect the people she was with. Perhaps staying felt more dangerous to her than going with him.The couple reportedly had a volatile relationship from the start, and at one point both had restraining orders against the other. Regardless, she was killed by the man who had claimed to love her, an ex-cop who had been arrested for domestic violence and had been bailed out multiple times prior to that evening.Feminist News wrote the gist of Megan's story on Facebook, sharing photos from the couple's wedding to illustrate how invisible domestic violence can be to those outside of it. "THIS is the face of domestic violence," they wrote.But what was perhaps most striking about the post was the deluge of comments from women describing their own experiences with domestic violence. Comment after comment explaining how a partner always made them think the abuse was their fault, how restraining orders were repeatedly violated, how they were charmed and loved into questioning whether the verbal abuse or physical violence was really that bad. Story after story of how they didn't see it coming, how slowly and insidiously it escalated, how terrifying it was to try to leave.Those of us who have not been in abusive relationships don't always understand why people don't leave them. But the dynamics of abuse—the emotional manipulation, the gaslighting, the self-esteem destruction, the fear and shame—are well documented.Unfortunately, those dynamics can prove deadly. Domestic violence murders have been on the rise in recent years, going up 19% between 2014 and 2017. And sadly, our justice system does not protect domestic violence survivors as well as it should.Part of the challenge of prosecuting in domestic violence cases is that victims are not always willing to cooperate, either out of fear or shame or embarrassment, or unhealthy loyalty. According to some estimates, domestic violence victims recant their testimony up to 70% of the time. That's why some are pushing for evidence-based prosecution without requiring victim testimony, much like we try murder cases.But some, like University of Maryland law professor Leah Goodmark, argue that pushing for more law enforcement hasn't proven to reduce domestic violence rates. Addressing issues of poverty, childhood trauma, attitudes toward gender equality, and other risk factors for domestic violence may be more effective by stopping violence before it starts.While abuse happens to both men and women, women are more likely to be victims and much more likely to be murdered by a partner. Thankfully, there are many resources for domestic violence survivors to seek help, whether you're trying to determine if your relationship is abusive or trying to figure out if, when, and how to leave. The National Domestic Violence Hotline (www.thehotline.org or call 1−800−799−7233) has a wealth of information on domestic violence and what to do about it. The website even has a live chat where you can get your questions answered and receive assistance making a safety plan for you and your family.If you are afraid of your partner or other loved one, there's something wrong. No one should live in fear of the people who are supposed to love them the most.This article originally appeared on 12.16.19

Brian Gordon is a cartoonist. He's also a dad, which means he's got plenty of inspiration for the parenting comics he creates for his website, Fowl Language (not all of which actually feature profanity). He covers many topics, but it's his hilarious parenting comics that are resonating with parents everywhere. "My comics are largely autobiographical," Gordon tells me. "I've got two kids who are 4 and 7, and often, what I'm writing happened as recently as that very same day." Gordon shared 15 of his oh-so-real comics with us. They're all funny 'cause they're true. Let's get started with his favorite, "Welcome to Parenting," which Gordon says sums up his comics pretty well. "Parenting can be such tedious drudgery," he says, "but if it wasn't also so incredibly rewarding there wouldn't be nearly so many people on the planet."Truth.I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.1.All comics are shared here with Gordon's express permission. These comics are all posted on his website, in addition to his Facebook page. You can also find a "bonus" comic that goes with each one by clicking the "bonus" link. Original. Bonus.2.Original. Bonus.3.Original. Bonus.4.Original. Bonus.5.Original. Bonus.6.Original. Bonus.7.Original. Bonus.8.Original. Bonus.9.Original. Bonus.10.Original. Bonus.11.Original. Bonus.12.Original. Bonus.13.Original. Bonus.14.Original. Bonus.15.Original. Bonus.I love Gordon's comics so much because they're just about the reality of parenting — and they capture it perfectly.There's no parenting advice, no judgment, just some humor about the common day-to-day realities that we all share.When I ask him about the worst parenting advice he's ever received, Gordon relays this anecdote:"I remember being an absolute sleep-deprived wreck, sitting outside a sandwich shop, wolfing down my lunch quickly beside my 1-month-old son, who was briefly resting his lungs between screaming fits.A rather nosy woman walked up to me and said, all smugly, 'You should enjoy this time while they're easy.' It was the exact worst thing anyone could have said to me in that moment and I just wanted to curl up on the sidewalk and cry."Who hasn't been on the receiving end of totally unneeded and unwanted advice? That's why Gordon's comics are so welcome: They offer up a space for us to all laugh about the common experiences we parents share.Here's to Gordon for helping us chuckle (through the tears).This article originally appeared on 07.11.16

Mere days before Florida was hit by Hurricane Milton, Helene, a Category 4 and the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina, raged through other southeast states—hitting North Carolina the hardest. But one video, shared by Emily Singleton, captures just how resilient and resourceful Appalachian folks are when it comes to protecting their families. Speaking to PEOPLE, Singleton shared that the day two of her close friends, Josh Johnson and Graham Avery, were trying to save the breastmilk of Graham's wife, Logan Avery. They needed to get the milk out of the Avery house, which had lost power, and into their in-law's house, which had a generator. With the floods making the bridge out of their house inaccessible and fallen trees everywhere, this would be no easy task. Still, Johnson and Avery were able to put the breast milk in a cooler, along with some frozen meats to keep the milk. They then used a rope pulley system—Avery on one side, Johnson on the other—to guide the cooler across a raging Roaring Creek. As Singleton’s caption put it, this was just good old fashioned "Appalachian folks makeshifting ways.” She also told People that the river was not only a transportation system, the cool waters also helped preserve the milk. that ‘s a little trick that all the “Mamaws and Papaws had to do growing up.” The video struck a sense of pride for fellow Appalachians. “As someone from Appalachia this is proof to our ingenuity and GRIT,” one viewer wrote. Another echoed, “Appalachia was settled off this same grit, determination, and sense of community. Seeing everyone helping, rigging up pulley systems. Makes me even prouder to be from there.” Another even shared that “we [Appalachians] have been doing this with moonshine for years. People in these mountains will make a way one way or another. Always.” And those not from Appalachia were moved after seeing the way this community looked out for one another. “I know mama is so appreciative. The testimonies you all are going to have after this horrible situation is over are going to be so amazing!” share one person. “This hurts my mama heart, but makes me so proud to be an American. THis is what it’s about,” said another. Singleton also joked in her caption that this family should be sponsored by Yeti, which sells ultra-durable coolers, drinkware and bags. Seems like they more than earned that. To learn more about how to help with relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts from Hurricane Helene, click here.

When Billboard and Rolling Stone pull together their "Best Songs of All Time" lists, there are some tunes you know for sure will be included. Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" is most definitely one of them. It has everything—the beauty of a ballad, the grunginess of a rock song, the simple solo voice, and the band in full force. "Stairway to Heaven" takes us on a musical journey, and even people who aren't necessarily giant Led Zeppelin or classic rock fans can't help but nod or sing along to it. Of course, it's also been so ubiquitous (or overplayed, as some would claim) to become a meme among musicians. Signs saying "No Stairway to Heaven" in guitar stores point to how sick of the song many guitarists get, and when Oregon radio station KBOO told listeners they would never play the song again if someone pledged $10,000, Led Zepelin singer Robert Plant himself called in and gave the donation.Musicians can often tire of performing their songs over and over again, but it's a different story when someone else puts their spin on it. And at a Led Zeppelin tribute concert at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 2, 2012, rock legends Heart and the son of John Bonham, Led Zeppelin's original drummer who passed away in 1980 at age 32, performed a rendition of "Stairway to Heaven" that brought the surviving members of the band to their feet—and to tears. It helps that Heart's Ann Wilson had been a huge fan of the song since she was 19 and that her voice has a similar quality to Plant's. But what makes this performance so epic is the contrast between its simple beginnings and huge, full climax with an orchestra and full choir wearing bowler hats (a touching shout out to Bonham, who famously wore one) behind the band. It's quite a ride to see the audience grow more and more excited as the song builds and to see Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones clearly awed at their own music being performed with such excellence. As one commenter quipped, "I think this is the first time Led Zeppelin was feeling what people felt listening to them all their lives." It's definitely worth a watch. Enjoy:This article originally appeared on 2.3.23

Most people remember their first concert. Mine was TLC and Boyz 2 Men, and no, I'm not talking about their comeback tour. It was the 90s and I almost broke my leg trying to climb over folding seats in the pouring rain trying to get under the venue's awning. Pretty sure we only had lawn seats and were probably breaking some sort of law climbing to better seats. Either way, going to a concert can be an exhilarating experience but it can also be a bit overwhelming. Everything's loud. The music. The people. Everything. When you're a child, not yet old enough to head off to a concert with friends, it can be even more overstimulating than it is for adults. One little girl found herself feeling a bit upset while attending a concert with her parents for the heavy metal band "Disturbed." But it was what happened when the lead singer noticed the frightened girl that's melting hearts across the internet.The lead singer, David Draiman, could've just continued the show, not giving the upset child a second thought. Instead he went to comfort her across the barricade, speaking directly to her through the microphone he was still holding. "I'm very proud of you. You're awesome," Draiman says before reassuring the girl. "It's okay, baby, it's ok. I didn't mean to scare you."With every calm affirming sentence the crowd cheers. Draiman then stands on what appears to be a step on the barricade and addresses the audience. "I love that Disturbed concerts have become a family affair. I love it," the singer says. "And this little girl has been singing her heart out the entire show. She knows so many of the songs."Judging by the comments, the band is known for being kind."And they're not kidding. Every single disturbed show we've been to made us tear up. They're the best band I've seen live. Love them," one fan writes. "I was there. It was my first time seeing Disturbed in concert but it was definitely the most accepting and uplifting concert I've ever been to," another person says. "As a long time Disturbed fan this is unsurprising but wonderful in equal measure. They have always held such wonderful inclusive values," someone writes. What a beautifully kind moment caught on video showing everyone that kindness goes a long way. Watch the sweet interaction below. @disturbed Everyone who comes to a Disturbed concert is welcome and accepted and loved ? #disturbed #takebackyourlifetour #livemusic #familyaffair #inclusive #rock #metal #weareone #united #humanity This article originally appeared on 8.22.23

Often, we have little awareness of how our actions might affect the lives of others. Our kindness simply goes into the ether, maybe to return as good karma, who knows? And most of the time that’s fine, considering that the act was probably done to help someone else, not for recognition. But still, have you ever done something kind for a stranger, and wondered, whatever happened to that person? In 1999, two sisters boarded a plane from Amsterdam to the United States, fleeing their home in the former Yugoslavia. The Republic of Yugoslavia had been continuously bombed by NATO for three months during the Kosovo War, in an attempt to thwart widespread ethnic cleansing of Albanian civilians. The sisters didn’t have a penny to their name—they left behind everything they knew. Only one of them could speak English. A woman sat next to them on the plan, and, reminded of her own daughters, was moved by their frightening plight. She reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope. Inside she placed dangly earrings, a $100 bill and a handwritten note, which read: “I am so sorry that the bombing of your country has caused your family any problems. I hope your stay in America will be a safe and happy one for you–Welcome to America–please use this to help you here. A friend from the plane–Tracy.” The word “safe” had been underlined. For the refugee sisters Ayda Zugay and Vanja Contino, that had meant everything.Zugay recalled to CNN, "It was the first time that I felt, like, relief. This is a safe place, and we can build a future here. We went from this drastic horror into this beautiful act of kindness." Zugay’s CNN interview would later help her and her sister reunite with Tracy 23 years later, and let Tracy know just how life-changing her gift was.The search for Tracy had been a passion project years in the making. For Zugay, Tracy’s note became a “diamond in the dark” as she navigated through her new life in America, facing prejudice toward immigrants. The impact it made was so great that every year as Memorial Day and Thanksgiving approached, Zugay would renew her search.Over the years, Zugay had enlisted the help of airlines, hotels, Reddit and several refugee organizations. In a recent video, Zugay shared what little clues she uncovered:“Tracy, by this time, would be a middle aged or an older woman who is amazing at tennis and had traveled for it in the past. She would have flown from Paris, where she stayed at a Holiday Inn and where she played tennis, to Amsterdam, where we met on that flight. She would have flown from Amsterdam to Minnesota, and this would have been on May 31, 1999.”Though people were moved by her story and offered information and encouragement, she mostly met dead ends. That is, until her CNN story began circulating. More than 2 million readers saw it, including one of Tracy’s close contacts. As Zugay surmised, Tracy (whose last name we now know is Peck), was indeed a tennis enthusiast. In 1999, she got a chance to travel internationally to play and watch the French Open. Her friend Susan Allen, a tennis coach, saw Tracy’s note on social media and recognized the handwriting.Allen was able to put Peck in touch with Zugay and Contino, who now live in Boston and Connecticut. The three were able to finally share a long awaited emotional reunion over Zoom.UPDATE: Ayda Zugay's decade-long quest to find and thank the woman who gave her $100 and a welcoming message in 1999 has ended. Zugay reunited on Zoom with the mystery woman, Tracy Peck, a day after CNN published a story about her search. https://t.co/kxYEdnECS8— Catherine Shoichet (@CatherineCNN) May 2, 2022 The sisters gave Peck two decades worth of stories: how they were able to survive the entire summer off of that $100 bill by eating pancake mix and Coca-Cola, how Zugay was able to graduate from Boston University and work with a nonprofit and how Contino became happily married with two children, instilled with Peck’s inclination to pay it forward. As they shared the untold chapters of their story, Zugay wore the dangly earrings given by Peck all those years ago.We might never know where our goods deeds lead. But one thing is for certain: kindness is powerful. That next act of generosity toward a stranger could be the very saving grace they needed to change their life forever.This article originally appeared on 5.6.22