Hi Everyone,
Got back yesterday from an amazing artist retreat in new orleans sponsored by air traffic control (atctower.net) and future of music coalition (futureofmusic.org). here are some highlights:

– learning about all the great activist work artists are doing out on the road, from green(er) touring to speaking to congress while in DC to donating a portion of ticket sales to local activist groups. planning some ways i can make a more positive impact…
– feeling relieved that the people at ATC and FOMC are working day in and out to help artists have long-lasting careers (and healthy lives) and connect them to a world of activism.
– putting faces with the people who work so hard to relocate and rebuild the lives and homes of musicians who were forced to leave after Katrina — thank you sweethomeneworleans.org.
– meeting with a chief of a mardi gras indian tribe who works 4-hours a day hand-sewing beads onto incredibly ornate, elaborate and beautiful costumes (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mardi_Gras_Indians).
– touring the 9th ward and meeting musicians who have come back after the storm. seeing the slow rebuilding of what was complete devastation. also realizing how far we have to go…
– seeing the markings that the national guard spray painted on houses while searching for the dead by boat after the storm.– eating, talking and listening to kickass bands at dba, ernie k-doe’s mother-in-law’s, and dooky chase’s restaurant.– getting time to hang out with and get to know so many amazing musicians/artists…everyone was really open and sweet. it felt like summer camp.
– highlights from the benefit show at tipitina’s: singing in spanish and playing guitar with martin perna from antibalas, playing guitar (and reading an unfamiliar chart) with vijay iyer, watching erin mckeown play badass lead guitar, being backed up on “galaxies” by a 13-piece band including 4 trombones, a clarinet and a flute!!!
– absorbing the reality that new orleans is the cultural center of music in the US and that i owe so much to the people who live (and have lived) there… so many characters and eccentrics everywhere, so much suffering and also so much joy — it’s awesome in the true sense of the word…

thank you to everyone for such an eye-opening and wonderful trip!!!

xo laura

badass union organizer mary winzig and me

luke reynolds, jolie holland, saul williams and erin mckeown

luke reynolds and wayne kramer (MC5) getting ‘busted’ backstage

scott mccaughey (young fresh fellows, minus 5, R.E.M.) and steve berlin (los lobos) jamming with bonerama

Laura will be playing a few west coast tour dates this July. Come check Veirs and her clan! Who knows, you might hear a few new tunes in the setlist…

July 14: Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles
July 15: Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco
July 17: Mississippi Studios in Portland
July 18: The Crocodile in Seattle

Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 23rd.

Also, if you’d like to follow Laura on Twitter you can find her @ lauraveirs

Hello again everyone! You can catch Laura and some friends (Chris Funk of The Decemberists, fiddler extraordinaire Annalisa Tornfelt, and Jon Neufeld of Jackstraw) live as we do another Two Beers Veirs residency at the LaurelThirst Pub in Portland. This special weekly show will happen every Wednesday night in April during happy hour (6-8pm), with Two Beers Veirs backing up one of their favorite Portland-based artists on three of their songs. And it’s free! Swing on by if you’re in the area.

Her latest self-released EP, also titled Two Beers Veirs, is hitting indie retail stores next week on Tuesday, March 31st with full artwork packaging. Limited copies of this EP were previously sold on tour and online until they sold out. Now you can pick up a copy locally — find a store near you at the Think Indie website. And if you prefer to download your tunes, the EP is also available on digital outlets like iTunes andAmazon.com. Check it out!
In addition to her musical happenings, LV’s also designed a shirt for the Yellow Bird Project, an organization that sells t-shirts designed by musicians with all the profits going to charity. Proceeds from the sale of her t-shirt will go to The Whale Museum in the San Juan Islands. You can purchase the shirt from the Yellow Bird Website.

Hello, awesome world!

We are hard at work making a new record in our pdx cocoon. It’s called July Flame; and it’s my 6th album with Tucker Martine (winner of the best producer in the universe award)!@#)$(*@#)$(*@#)$(*@#)($ As far as musical guests go, expect the regular ragtag gang and a few newcomers as well. we’ve got finger-picking madness, feedback, claps, oohs, cat bells, weird surprises and more coming your way… stay tuned for updates/pics/ridiculous vids, etc.

Love,
Laura

Laura has contributed a fictional short story called “The Bird Feeder” to Amplified, a collection of writings from leading indie rock, folk, and alt-country musicians like Rhett Miller and Jim White. It will be released on May 5th and is available through Melville House Publishing for $16.95.

Laura’s been staying very busy with preparations for the next full-length album, to be released later this year. It’s all very exciting stuff! Stay tuned for more details.

In the mean time, we have other great news for you:

Her latest self-released EP of cover songs, Two Beers Veirs, which was previously only available through Laura’s website and on tour, is now available as a digital release on iTunes for $4.95! You can do a quick search for “Two Beers Veirs” in the iTunes store or click HERE to go directly the album.

Laura says the conception of Two Beers Veirs was that of long time inspiration and spontaneous motivation: “I had been talking with Tucker about recording some of my favorite songs for a tour EP and one night at midnight he said, “Well, let’s just go and do it!” We headed downstairs and came up four hours later with an EP of songs that are dear to me.”

Also, we’ve lowered the price of The Young Rapture Choir CD to $5! Check out that and other goodies at the Raven Marching Band Records website.

Until next time. . .

Hi Everyone,

Looking forward to coming over to merry old England to play a bevy of shows in July with my old friend Alex Guy (myspace.com/ledtosea). Alex will be opening the shows with a badass display of mind-boggling viola loops and sonorous singing; I’ll play solo with Alex joining me on a few songs each night (you can hear Alex (aka Liz) on “Blue Ink” on the ‘red’ record.) I’ll have my guitar, banjo and looping station at my disposal — and I will do with them as I please! Or they will do with me as THEY please. Regardless, I’ll be playing songs again in England, and hoping for a little sunshine since Portland seems to be damned to an eternal winter. This will be my last visit to the old world for a while, so I hope to see you out there screaming your booties off.

I recorded a limited edition tour-and-web-only covers EP called “Two Beers Veirs.” The songs are all faves of mine, very dear to my heart, and I will be hawking said EP at the shows.

Also, I’ll bring along the last three albums on vinyl — I know how you artsy people love records. Me too!

In other news: OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!

Best,
Laura
myspace.com/lauraveirs

Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us during our spring tour with liam, ej and sam!

love,  laura and meghan

Best of May Fun Tour 2008
vancouver — best hot pink comforters at hotel
seattle — best mango-lime and lemongrass halibut with spicy green beans
pdx — best boyfriend tied with best kittens
sf — best succulent landscaping
la — that taco truck was soooooooooo good!
phoenix — best pool in the middle of the desert
denver — best breakfast
omaha — best maggie
minneapolis — best merch trade: flight of the conchords
milwaukie — best acoustics
chicago — best apartment tied with best rowdy crowd tied with best screen-printed poster
louisville — best unprompted syncopated clappers
nashville — best home away from home
atlanta — best post-show backstage drunkard (that guy was crazy!)
dc — tie between best obama dream and best sarah and sokol
philly — best gelato tied with best windy morning swim
nyc — best audience
boston — tie between best hotel quilts and best hotel soap
toronto — best lamps

Laura Veirs’ newly recorded, limited edition covers album, Two Beers Veirs, is now available for purchase. This collector’s item CD will only be available for purchase on tour and through the Raven Marching Band Shop.

Laura will be part of the Live Wire! Radio show on Saturday, April 12, 2008 She will be interviewed and perform a few songs solo live. Here’s more info:

The Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Ave.
Portland, OR 97202
Show at 8 PM (doors at 7 PM)
Tickets $15 (Box office or Ticketmaster)

Other guests include musical guest Seattle’s Grand Archives and famed author Ursula K. LeGuin. The show will be broadcast on Saturday, April 19th at 7pm PST.

Live Wire! is an independently produced radio variety show recorded in front of a theater audience at the Aladdin Theater in Portland and broadcast on Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB). The show includes original sketch comedy, illuminating interviews and local and national musical guests. Visit www.livewireradio.org for more info.