Money back guarantees are hard to come by. Laura Veirs has an alternative proposition: if you don’t like her show she’ll give you a temporary tattoo. Free ink? Not bad. Plus we’re pretty sure that you won’t be getting that tat after all.-- Laura Veirs comes recommended by SFist music editor Krissy and a whole host of fans. Laura Veirs is currently head quartered in Portland, and she’s taken the time to give us an insider’s view of her city. If you can’t make it to her show this week, make sure to check out her new album, “Saltbreakers” on Nonesuch.

Best show you've ever played and what made it great?
Our last gig in Paris at La Maroquinerie in April 2007. The place was packed with 400 fans who knew all the words and clapped and danced and yelled out to us and made us feel incredibly good. We played really well with in our fancy embroidered suits and we came off stage sweaty as barnyard pigs.

Best venue in the world?
I hate to be such a Francophile, but la Cigale in Paris. It's a huge, old, red-velvet theater and truly a lovely place to share and experience live music.

Best fans in the world?
The best fan we've met so far is a young girl from Houston named Gelli. We just met her last week. She wore our band t-shirt at the show, danced in the front row the whole time, beamed bright smiles at us, and gave us hope for the future of the human race.

What's your favorite song to perform?
Right now it's 'Saltbreakers'. I love it when the guys come in -- who doesn't love a rousing chorus of bearded men? Also, I crank the reverb on the amp and dance around with my guitar.

Favorite collaborators?
My bandmates -- Tucker Martine, Karl Blau and Steve Moore. also the wonderful world-class violist Eyvind Kang. and the Cedar Hill Baptist choir from Nashville that sang on 'To the Country' from the new record.

Lamest Crowd Request ever
When we played to two people in Dallas a few years back and both were from our record label. It's not that the label people were lame -- they were really nice -- but that was certainly the lamest attendance ever.

Laura Veirs & The Saltbreakers
June 5 @ Café Du Nord
Openers: Lake, Ryan Auffenberg
Doors: 8pm
21+

Name
Laura Veirs

Introduce yourself in one sentence
I love snow leopards.

Home Town
Born in Colorado Springs, co.

How long have you lived in the Portland and why?
I bought a house in the NE part of town (Alberta Arts) on July 31st, 2006 but have only lived there for a few months since I've been on tour so much. I moved there because I wanted a fresh start but I wanted to stay in the NW (I lived in Seattle before). The winter clouds/darkness gets to me in the NW, but other than that I love it up there.

Favorite place to spend time online
cuteoverload.com, wikipedia.com and nytimes.com

Favorite local business
Trade Up Music on Alberta

What I'm currently Reading
Short stories of Patricia Highsmith

Best Deal in Portland
Don Ponchos Mexican food on Alberta

Favorite mode of transportation
Bike and feet

Best Band or Musician to come out of the Portland
Mel Brown lives in Portland, bless his soul

Favorite Portland Stereotype, and whether or not you buy into it
Cute-as-hell hipsters with perfectly messed up hair - yes.

Favorite local hangout
Tiga

Portland has the BEST
Bookstore in the world

Portland would be soooo much better if only
My family would move there from Washington

Best Restaurant
Le Happy

Favorite author to come out of Portland

Chuck Palahniuk

Place you always tell visitors to check out
Kennedy School hot pool

I have found/sold/bought the following on craigslist
Guitar amps

I want all the SFists out there to know
My band is really great and for some reason we've had a hard time getting a strong audience in SF than we have in other west coast cities. please come out to the show! We guarantee you will have a kick ass time! and if for some reason you don't, we'll give you a free temporary tattoo!!!

Question you'd ask if you were doing this interview
What is the best thing about your live show?

All the bandmates make a lot of eye contact and smile a lot. Plus we play the hell out of our instruments. Also, we look really good. at least our outfits (ala burrito brothers) look hot. our songs are strong and we've been playing together for 6 years, so we connect in a family way. also, when we play in SF we will be in week 7 of an 8 week tour so we will be emitting pungent smells, but our music will be tight!