You may have heard that Baltimore has been disparaged recently. Here at Baltimore, we’ve spent 112 years celebrating this city—and we’re not about to back down now. Take a look back as we revisit some of the many reasons why Charm City lives up to its name. Here are some highlights from our archives:

We’ve got Otterbein’s.

The sacred sugar cookies of Bawlmer.

And the best crab houses in the country.

From Captain James, Oprah’s favorite, to the James Beard Award-winning Schultz’s Crab House.

Photography by Scott Suchman

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Oprah Winfrey got her start here on WJZ.

Recently, she made a local news appearance on WBAL to defend Baltimore’s honor. “This charming city is anything but full of rats,” she said.

Illustration by Anita Kunz

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We have sports legends.

The Iron Man even beat The Iron Horse’s streak!

Photography by Mike Morgan

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Our chefs win James Beard Awards.

Woodberry Kitchen’s Spike Gjerde is a farm-to-fork pioneer. Even former First Lady Michelle Obama eats here.

Photography by Mike Morgan

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We have some of the best museums in the country.

Among them are the first-of-its-kind National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History & Culture, and the Baltimore Museum of Art—which is expected to unveil its upcoming Matisse center by 2021, making it the premier place to study the French artist and his works.

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Some of the most iconic artists hail from here.

John Waters, Blaze Starr, and Joyce Scott. (Need we say more?)

-Bryan Burris

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We have the largest free arts festival in the country.

Local legends (Ethel Ennis) to national names (TLC) have stepped up to the stage here.

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Our symphony is home to conductor Marin Alsop, the first woman to head a major American orchestra.

In an era when symphonies around the country are closing their doors permanently, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is one of only 25 of the 800 or so U.S. orchestras to have been around for more than 100 years.

Photography by David Colwell

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We invented just about everything.

Hyperbole? We think not. Read on.

Sean McCabe

Anyone with siblings knows that besting a brother or sister in sports or winning your parents praise is like a nagging intuition that only grows with age. Thiru and Krishanti Vignarajah are living proof that sibling rivalries never die. One is running for Baltimore state’s attorney and the other is vying to unseat Gov. Larry Hogan. As the children of two immigrant Baltimore City Public School teachers, Thiru and Krishanti are the epitome of the American dream.

After their parents fled civil unrest in Sri Lanka, they sought refuge in the Edmondson Heights neighborhood in Baltimore City. Thiru went on to pursue law at Harvard—becoming the editor of the Harvard Law Review “before Barack Obama made it cool.” And his younger sister, Krishanti, studied political science and molecular cellular and developmental biology at Yale, eventually becoming the policy director for Michelle Obama at the White House. Although wildly successful, the pair says that there was never any pressure from their parents to go to college and do well.

“If you ask my father, he would tell you, they didn’t really know of the Ivy League, and they always kind of encouraged us to realize our potential,” Krishanti said. “But it was never sort of pressure. It was never, ‘You will go to a top notch academic institution.’ I think there was an expectation that we would make something of ourselves and find some way to give back.” 

Neither Krishanti nor Thiru had ever thought about running for public office. For Thiru, it was the Uprising in 2015 following the death of Freddie Gray that piqued his interest in politics. As a former Maryland deputy attorney general, he witnessed firsthand how the increased violence and homicide rates in Baltimore were tearing communities apart.

“It was just gut wrenching and heart breaking,” Thiru said. “I suddenly realized that it was not going to get better unless we had real leadership in the role of the state’s attorney. I just couldn’t sit back and watch anymore.”

For Krishanti, she was asked to run following a keynote address at the Western Maryland Democratic Summit in April 2017 (and was eight months pregnant at the time). A political consultant approached her and said, “You’re not going to like me in five minutes. You’re going to hate me in five months,” and showed Krishanti a crumpled piece of paper with names on it.

“She says, ‘None of these candidates could beat governor Hogan. Fortunately, I’ve just found my candidate. I just need to wait until she delivers her baby,’” she recalls. “It kind of gave me pause. Part of that pause was that, coming out of the Obama administration, and having so many of the accomplishments we worked so hard to achieve either already reversed or threatened to be reversed, made me believe that we needed to be part of the resistance and opposition. Part of it was I was nearly nine months pregnant.”

Now, nearly six weeks away from the primaries, the brother and sister are ready to acknowledge their familial ties within the race. After keeping their relationship out of the race in an effort to “keep the focus on the issues at hand,” Thiru freely prattled on about his admiration for his little sister and all of her accomplishments.

“She’s extraordinary and we have a sibling rivalry like everybody else but there’s no one I would trust more with the biggest responsibilities on the Earth,” he said. “She is as humble as she is brilliant, she is as hardworking as she is charming.”

Neither sibling can ignore the elephant in the room—if they both win their respective seats, will there be a conflict of interest? Baltimore is known for its history of political families—Mitchells, Cardins, Mosbys—but aside from having a longer name, Thiru believes that they are the same as other families that have served. 

“If a brother and sister didn’t disagree, nobody would believe it,” he joked. “There will be issues and subjects in which we may disagree, and we’ll talk about it and we’ll move forward. In some respects, that’s what I would say about a person in government that wasn’t family.”

When the fancy titles are stripped away, and politics are out of the picture, Thiru and Krishanti are just Woodlawn High graduates who enjoy being on the water or taking in a game at Camden Yards. At the end of the day, they are just a brother and sister, who are hoping for the best outcomes for each other in the June 26 primary.

“I’m inspired and proud of what Krish is doing,” Thiru said. “There is a moment that is seizing the country and I think both of us feel this calling. It’s rooted in our unique experiences, we have walked our distinctive paths, but if not now, when? If not here, where? If not us, who?”

At a ceremony this morning, a portrait of Michelle Obama by Baltimore artist Amy Sherald was unveiled at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. She was joined onstage with Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama, as well as New York artist Kehinde Wiley, who was commissioned to paint the official portrait of Barack Obama.

After winning the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition at the National Portrait Gallery in 2016, Sherald was selected by the gallery to paint its official portrait of Michelle Obama. The piece—which shows a seated Michelle in a long, flowing dress, in Sherald’s trademark style—will remain on display at the gallery through early November.Wiley’s portrait depicts Barack Obama seated amid a flurry of greenery, with vibrant flowers poking through.

In this New York Times article, Holland Cotter says that this unveiling is historically significant, as its the first in a long series of presidential portraiture that depicts two African Americans, and both artists are African American as well. “Ms. Sherald’s image of Mrs. Obama overemphasizes an element of couturial spectacle,” he writes, “but also projects a rock-solid cool.”

Tawanda T. Epps, a fan on Facebook, notes that the skirt in the portrait reflects the patterns of the Gee’s Bend Quilt-makers. On Twitter, Ava DuVernay says the portraits remind her to hope:

Sherald formerly held studio space at the Creative Alliance in Baltimore and now works out of Motor House, a hub for artists and arts groups in Station North. She was also recently selected by High Museum of Art as its 2018 David C. Driskell Prize winner, which recognizes contributions to African-American art.

OPEN

The Walters Cafe: If hunger pangs strike while perusing the collections at the Walters Art Museum, this recently renovated café on the first floor has got you covered. The eatery has been updated with contemporary décor and a brand-new menu offering beer and wine, as well as salads, sandwiches, sweets, and snacks sourced from local purveyors. Be on the lookout for hometown favorites including Scotty Cakes baked goods, Mouth Party Caramels, Ceremony Coffee, and other sustainable fare from the socially conscious chefs at City Seeds. Aside from regular breakfast and lunch service, the café will be open until 8:30 p.m. on Thursday evenings for visitors hoping to grab bite to eat before touring the galleries or attending performances in the museum’s famed Sculpture Court. 600 N. Charles St., 410-547-9000

Baltimore Soup Company: South Baltimore locals are already raving about the newest restaurant tenant to open on the first floor of the 2 E. Wells apartment complex in Riverside. Earlier this week, the second location of Baltimore Soup Company—whose flagship is in Towson—opened its doors offering a variety of sandwiches, salads, and, of course, its namesake soups. Daily specials vary, but frequent options include steamy bowls of Maryland crab, hearty vegetable, chicken corn chowder, and tomato-basil bisque. 2 E. Wells St.

Culinary Architecture Cafe: In other South Baltimore news, this spinoff of Culinary Architecture Market in Pigtown debuted inside the historic Lion Brothers Building in Hollins Market earlier this month. The building, which was recently restored by Cross Street Partners, is also home to The Grid—a modern co-working space from University of Maryland BioPark. The spot specializes in coffees paired with fresh-baked pastries, biscuits, sandwiches, soups, and flatbreads. 875 Hollins St.  

COMING SOON

Darker Than Blue: Waverly locals probably remember Darker Than Blue—chef Casey Jenkins’ sophisticated soul food spot that closed its doors in 2013. Now, Jenkins has plans to revive the concept in the Northwood Plaza Shopping Center near Morgan State University. He’s currently in the final phases of raising capital for the project, and hopes to open during the second quarter of 2019. Although the location will be different, Jenkins says that the restaurant’s classics (think fried catfish, citrus-glazed salmon, chicken and waffles, and Louisiana tilapia) will make a comeback on the menu. 1534 Havenwood Rd.

NEWS

Michelle Obama Celebrates Birthday with Spike Gjerde: Spike Gjerde’s new restaurant A Rake’s Progress, situated inside the trendy Line Hotel in the Adams-Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C., might not be open to the public yet—but its team got in some good practice serving a special meal to former First Lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama in honor of Michelle’s birthday. Although D.C. boasts plenty of culinary options, we’re not surprised that the former FLOTUS chose one of Gjerde’s spots to celebrate the big 5-4. She’s been known to frequent Woodberry Kitchen whenever she is in town. A Rake’s Progress is expected to officially debut later this month. 770 Euclid St NW, Washington, D.C., 202-588-0525

EPICUREAN EVENTS 

1/24: Calasag Filipino x Soul Food Pop-Up at Ida B’s Table
At this special culinary collaboration next week, Dylan Ubaldo of the local Calasag Pop-Up will fuse his Filipino flavors with the modern soul food at Ida B’s Table. Dishes on the evening’s menu will include grilled octopus marinated in a banana ketchup, catfish with sweet potato fritters and collard greens, smoked pork cheek, and Louisiana-style beignets made from purple yams and coconut sugar. Both Ubaldo and Ida B’s owner/executive chef David Thomas will be sharing their thoughts on the inspiration behind the dishes throughout the evening. Ida B’s Table, 235 Holliday St., $65, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

SHUT

Dimitri’s Tavern: Another dive bar bit the dust last week. After nearly 45 years in business, Dimitri’s Tavern on Falls Road in Hampden has closed its doors as owner James Dimitri prepares for retirement. According to reports by The Sun, the building—now owned by local developer CityWide Properties—will soon be transformed into a Mexican restaurant offering scratch-made dishes and happy hour specials. Aside from its affordable drinks, Dimitri’s was best known for its packaged goods and no-holds-barred karaoke nights. 3820 Falls Rd. 

She rose to national prominence after winning a portrait competition at the National Portrait Gallery. Now, for the second time, her art will grace the walls of the storied institution—and it will portray a high profile subject.

Baltimore painter Amy Sherald has been selected by the National Portrait Gallery to paint its official portrait of Michelle Obama. The Smithsonian museum chose another rising art world star—New York’s Kehinde Wiley—to paint President Barack Obama’s. The paintings will be added to the National Portrait Gallery’s collection of presidential and first lady portraits next year.

Sherald’s painting Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance) won the 2016 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, which brought with it a $25,000 prize. That painting is currently touring the country as part of an exhibition of the competition’s top entries. Sherald was the first woman to have ever won the prize.

Sherald also has works at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and The National Museum of Women in the Arts. She has had two shows at the Monique Meloche Gallery in Chicago. In Baltimore, she is on the faculty of the Maryland Institute College of Art, her alma mater.

In a 2016 story that appeared in Baltimore, Sherald discussed how her work had changed from self-reflective and romanticized into a style in which she emulated old masters and combined that with her experiences as a black woman.

“I’d go through all these art books and look at technique, but not necessarily see my story represented,” she said. Her dream, she said, was for people “to look at a black child and see themselves. I want my paintings to take you to a different space in reality, and allow you to recognize yourself,” she says. “That’s the magic that I want all of my paintings to have.”

When news broke earlier this month that the popular Obama-era initiative Let Girls Learn may become a casualty of the most recent round of federal budgeting, one Baltimorean was especially jarred. As the former director of policy for former First Lady Michelle Obama, Krishanti Vignarajah helped the administration launch the initiative in 2015. We caught up with the Woodlawn High School graduate—who now runs her own company, Generation Impact, and is expecting her first child (a daughter)—to talk about the status of Let Girls Learn, and why it’s worth saving.

Let’s start with the basics. What is Let Girls Learn and how does it work?
It’s an initiative that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama launched in March of 2015 to support adolescent girls’ education, at home and abroad. We ultimately had seven agencies integrally involved, ranging from the State Department and our development agency, USAID, to the Department of Labor, Peace Corps and the Department of Agriculture. 

Let Girls Learn supports girls’ education in three different ways. The first is through governmental support, everything from the building and renovation of schools to “second chance programs” for girls who’ve dropped out, to science and tech camps that bring together teenage girls from around the world. But we also appreciated that the U.S. couldn’t do it alone, and so we built an international coalition of governments ranging from Japan and Pakistan, to South Korea and the United Kingdom. But . . . even an international coalition of governments couldn’t solve a problem as large as nearly 100 million adolescent girls out of school worldwide, so we partnered with about 100 private sector companies and organizations, ranging from IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Girl Scouts, and Lands’ End, to universities like Georgetown and Cambridge to help us support girls in completing middle and high school.

What was your involvement in the creation of Let Girls Learn?
Mrs. Obama had been really quite moved by the Boko Haram kidnapping of over 200 girls in Nigeria. So she raised the question of what could we do to address this heartbreaking situation of girls getting kidnapped simply for going to school. Obviously, for both the President and the First Lady, the issue was personal, both because each of their success stories was in part driven by education, but also being the parents of two daughters, the incident hit close to home. We recognized that there was some ongoing programming that the U.S. government already supported, but that there was clearly a need to step up our efforts. So, I basically tried to figure out how could we address the issue of girls’ education, in a real and enduring way.

Why focus on girls not boys?
The reality that we see, both at home and all across the world, is that girls often fall behind—particularly when it comes to middle and high school. And so you end up seeing in some places dramatically lower completion and graduation rates for girls compared to boys. What we realized is that there’s no smarter investment in the future of America than investment in girls’ education.

How so?
When you talk about diverting resources from young girls, you’re really talking about divesting from the next generation of America’s leaders, the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and astrophysicists. And they’re coming from everywhere—small towns, inner cities. They’re going to be the daughters of immigrants and working-class parents. So that’s why we knew that this was a priority. The investment in these girls is not just an investment in them, but an investment in their families, communities, and countries. We know, for example, that . . . for each additional year of high school, a girl’s earning potential goes up as much as 25 percent. Another example: Girls who attend school have healthier families. A Lancet study, for example, found that increasing girls’ education was responsible for more than half the reduction in child mortality between 1970 and 2009. I could go on and on.

So what does it cost the U.S. government per year to run this program?
We ended up investing $1 billion. Unfortunately, even that large amount is still far from what’s needed, because the tragic reality is that we still have 130 million girls out of school around the world.

One billion dollars sounds like a lot of money. For comparison’s sake, what are some other budget line items?
So, for example, our HIV/AIDS funding through PEPFAR, which President Bush created, receives about $7 billion. The State Department budget is about $50 to $51 billion, while the Defense Department budget is about $600 billion.

In terms of soft diplomacy, is Let Girls Learn one of the best investments we can make? You know, winning hearts and minds and all that.
Absolutely. [Secretary of Defense] General [James] Mattis has said this, ‘If you don’t fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition ultimately.’ In some cases, it’s pennies on the dollar compared to the other investments we make. But you absolutely get the best bang for your buck.

As of today, it is unclear what the status of Let Girls Learn is. Initial reports suggested it was cut, then the State Department released a statement saying that the program will remain intact, but may get rebranded.
As you can imagine, I sort of scrambled to try to find out what was happening and what was potentially on the chopping block. I’ll tell you I think there is a lot of confusion about what exactly is being contemplated. In my mind, what is absolutely clear is that educating the next generation of women cannot become a casualty of partisan politics.

Do you worry that the Trump administration is just trying to avoid bad publicity here and fully intends to quietly end the initiative?
I realize that there’s always a chance with a new administration that an initiative like Let Girls Learn could have a bull’s-eye on it because it was so closely identified with the [former administration]. But . . . it would just make no sense. President [George W.] Bush, for example, launched the Millennium Challenge Corporation as a new approach to development and to substantially increase HIV/AIDS funding through PEPFAR. When we came into the White House, we realized the importance of these programs and actually increased funding for them. And the idea that something is bad just because it’s what a prior administration has done is at odds with the legacy of the White House.

On Thursday, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) introduced the Keeping Girls in School Act, which aims to preserve some aspects of Let Girls Learn, should the Trump administration decide to jettison the initiative. 
Of course, I appreciate any effort to safeguard the significant achievements we made through Let Girls Learn. But it’s too bad if we need legislation to protect an initiative intended to ensure girls get an education—this issue should be above the fray of politics.

What if the Trump administration decides to keep the program but rebrands it? Why would changing that name and that brand be such a loss?
We launched Let Girls Learn in over 50 countries around the world. And as you can imagine, when Michelle Obama says ‘Let Girls Learn,’ people hear it and it means something. We had successful public service announcements that we put out that had everyone from Meryl Streep to John Legend making the case to let girls learn. Likewise, when we launched a social media campaign asking people to respond to the question ‘What did you learn in school?’ we got an overwhelming response. It ended up trending number one [on Twitter] domestically and number three internationally. We had everyone from David Cameron to Prince Harry to Beyoncé all supporting this cause. To rebrand and remove all of that would threaten to take away all of the awareness we’ve raised.

So, you’re saying there’s a lot invested in the brand already. It’d be like trying to rename Nike or something.
It’s like relabeling Coca-Cola and instead calling it Brown Fizzy Water. If you think there’s no cost to that, you’re failing to appreciate what Coca-Cola has built.

How was it, being inducted by Michelle Obama?
It was surreal. I still haven’t entirely processed it yet. Being in the White House was like a walking dream. Everything seems strangely familiar from TV but also so exciting and surreal. I highly doubt anything in my life will be as nerve-wracking and cool as reading a poem there. Were were also lucky enough to have a conversation about writing with Michelle Obama’s speechwriters and that was very fun. Michelle Obama is so nice and wonderful. Knowing that the First Lady is passionate about poetry and this program is so rewarding as a writer.

What do your future plans look like?
This is really long-term, but I’ve always wanted to be an English teacher. I love seeing people get excited in English class. I’ve been lucky enough to have good English teachers in high school—pretty great ones—and just seeing my classmates come to life discussing old and new works of literature makes me so happy.

Would you ever consider being a poet as a career?
I’m always going to want to write poetry—I’m always going to find downtime to write, just because I feel nervous when I don’t. I have so many things to say. So I’ll always write, but teaching is really what I think I want to do with my future.

Has living in Maryland inspired or influenced any of your writing?
I’ve written some Baltimore-based poems. I’m really inspired by John Waters and Divine and that whole counterculture of Baltimore. This city has a unique spirit and lots of poetic potential. There are small groups working hard to create poetry communities, but I don’t see any poetry readings comparable to what you could find in D.C., for example. While I don’t have any set ideas in mind just yet, I know I would love to work with Baltimore residents in creating a poetry workshop or something of the sort.

Do you have any advice for young poets or writers?
Yes. Make friends with English teachers. Make friends with teachers that love words. I promise they’ll be great guides and inspirations for you. Also, keep yourself open to wonder and amazement. Don’t close yourself off to what’s going on around you. Sometimes I like to just sit and observe. When I’m waiting for the bus, I’ll just look at the way the light is hitting a building.

And this is another piece of advice: Carry an notebook so you can write down all the little things that come to you in the day, because I think being a poet means being receptive to the world around you and knowing how to translate that into words. Be receptive to the world around you.

Time of the Season

November 1, 2014
Cockeysville

On a damp Saturday, the morning after Halloween, two-dozen hearty folks and curious kids squeeze inside the warmth of Valley View Farms’s garden center for the annual fall harvest “Great Pumpkin Seed Count.” For weeks, a couple thousand visitors have sized up their biggest pumpkin ever, a 1,725-pounder named “Gourdzilla,” writing down guesses at the number of seeds in the behemoth. At stake: a first place $300 gift certificate to Valley View, which, with its exotic squashes—plus other vegetables, herbs, trees, shrubs, and perennials—has become something of a holiday destination.

Delivered by truck from “up the river” and the size of a small car, the pumpkin’s walls are roughly a foot thick. In northern states, similar gargantuan gourds are carved into canoes for fall boat races.

Valley View’s seed count goes back 25 years now, beginning with a relatively smallish 755-pounder. “Breeding,” says retail greenhouse manager Carrie Engel, explaining the explosion in Sumo-like squash. “People ask, but we’re obligated to return all the seeds back to the grower.”

Counting duties actually don’t take long: This year’s total is 373, just below average. Although novice predictions go upward of seven figures, two years ago only a single seed was found. The disappointment today—other than that the winner isn’t on hand and will be notified by phone—is that “Gourdzilla” didn’t make it here, either, “over-ripening” a few days ago. “Where’s the giant pumpkin?” one downcast child asks Engel. “Oh, I am afraid we had to cut him open before he went bad. He’s out back now,” she says reassuringly, “resting in pieces.”

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First Role Model

November 3, 2014
North Gay Street

Hours before Michelle Obama’s appearance at an Anthony Brown-Ken Ulman “Get Out the Vote” rally, Tamara Jones is mostly succeeding in keeping her 12-year-old daughter and friends content in line outside Baltimore’s War Memorial Building. “Sandwiches, chips, juice, plus Halloween candy,” Jones says. “And they all brought their iPads or devices to play.”

The girls, however—Jones’s daughter Riaine, Kayla Arrington, Nevaeh Donaldson, and Tara Lowery—don’t know that the First Lady is actually going to be here today, which Jones has kept a surprise, offering Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake as the star attraction. “My daughter loves the mayor,” she says, noting that the sixth-grader at East Baltimore’s Henderson-Hopkins school has volunteered alongside Rawlings-Blake at neighborhood events. The mayor, in fact, is the first elected official to appear in the packed auditorium, followed by a roster of state Democratic politicos, including Lt. Gov. Brown, who eventually introduces the First Lady, sending the girls into a frenzy.

After a brief rallying speech, as Obama comes forward to greet the audience, the girls literally climb on the backs of nearby adults, thrusting their arms in the air for handshakes with the First Lady.

“I’m never going to wash this hand,” exclaims one of the girls.

“I got squished,” adds the smallest girl, Lowery, 9, nonetheless smiling and holding up a smartphone video of Obama.

“Do you think she should run for office?” someone asks Jones, who scored a hug from the presidential spouse.

“Why not? She’s smart, articulate, engaged in what’s going on—even fashionable,” Jones says. Bursting into laughter, she catches herself. “You were asking about the First Lady, not my daughter,” she smiles. “Yes, she should run, too.”

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Brass in Pocket

November 6, 2014
Towson

“Two weeks ago, program director Scott Mullins asked me into his office and closed the door,” recalls general manager Steve Yasko, as anxious former 1980s teenagers and twentysomethings wait outside WTMD’s studio for the station’s weekly “Live Lunch” performance. “He leans back and folds his arms, like he always does when he has something—good or bad—to tell me. He says, ‘We’re 48 hours away from confirming Chrissie Hynde.’ Hardest thing in the world for me not to tell anyone for two days.”

Beloved for her tough but tender songs and persona, the legendary The Pretenders front woman, true to form, comes out in black boots, torn jeans, and a black T-shirt. Promoting her album Stockholm, the 63-year-old sits down between two accompanying musicians, literally rolling up her sleeves for 45 minutes of classics like “Kid” and “Talk of the Town,” and new material—her keening, seductive alto and attitude as distinct as ever. One moment she is waving off an encroaching photographer, and the next she’s generously calling out Baltimore’s All Mighty Senators, three of whom are in the audience and opened for The Pretenders on their 2003 tour.

Later, guitarist Warren Boes recalls that the Senators initially had “no idea” how Hynde chose them to fill the prestigious slot. “We were intimidated, but had to ask when we finally met her, ‘Why us?'” he recalls. “She said she saw our CD and handed it to [Pretenders’s guitarist] Adam Seymour for a listen. She said she told him, ‘These guys must be good. They’re not making it on their looks.'”