Broke-Ass of The Week – Liz Wight of Love Grenades
Every week we feature a different person from the community shedding a little light on their life of brokeitude. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something about the human spirit'probably not.
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Liz is the lead singer and songwriter of the LA-based band Love Grenades. She’s just made her debut in New York this weekend at the CMJ Festival, and is already getting amazing reviews. Full disclosure: I’m not only a friend of Liz’s, but I’m also a fan. There is no better disco song on this planet we call earth than her single Tigers In The Fire. And you can quote me on that shit. But allow me to shut up now and let the lady speak for herself:
Name: Elizabeth Wight
Age: 25
Occupation: Lead Singer/songwriter of Love Grenades
What city do you live in?: Los Angeles
Best money saving tip: Eat at home and drink in the parking lot before you go in to the club. That’s illegal, you know, so you gotta keep your eye out! One time I got caught drinking a bottle of wine with a friend in the parking of lot of a venue and the security guard brought out a pit bull and started freaking out on us. Determined to see the band, we snuck into the place (which will go unnamed) only to be kicked out by the same meathead a second later. Now, I’m playing there next week. Hope they don’t remember me and drag me off stage.
What do you refuse to spend money on?: I will never pay to get into any bar or dance club. It amazes me that there are places in Hollywood (which I rarely venture out to) that charge hundreds of dollars to get into and people actually pay it! However those are usually people not from Los Angeles who are half human and half plastic.
Most expensive thing you’ve ever bought: A semester of school at Cal State Long Beach [ed. note: Holla! Big ups to our almamater!]
How’d that feel?: Lame because I dropped out a few months later but lord knows I tried. Something clicked while trying to do my homework..I realized that no matter what degree I get I’m always going to do music so why do I need a degree? I may as well just do what I love. While, yes, school is important and everyone should try it, I think no one really explains to you that you can do all the school in the world, but it won’t make you a success. You are the only one who can do that. I know way too many people that are have crazy degrees and a gang of debt who slang coffee to make ends meet.
Favorite cheap eat: In N’ Out
Favorite dive bar: That would have to be Tony’s Bar in Downtown LA on 7th and Santa Fe. The bartender Skyler is the sexiest and the greatest mixologist! Tell him what you feel like drinking, and he’ll make a drink especially for you!
Best deal you’ve ever gotten: My car, which cost me $1500 bucks! A bargain! I bought it from a friend– its a cute lil black Jetta in great condition that’s gotten me to every gig in one piece.
Favorite free thing to do: Go to the beach and roll around in the sand.
If you woke up a millionaire, what’s the first thing you’d buy?: An apartment building. I’d stick all my struggling friends in there and give em the resources to create the art and music they always wanted to make. Yeah, that’s my fantasy.
Despite not having money, do you still love your life?: Yes! However I’ve never lived a charmed life so I don’t really know what I’m missing. I’m content though. I make my music and I travel the world performing. I don’t have a mortgage or babies, so I can be a little bit irresponsible for now.
Do you own my book?: Skimming through it right now! I’m in New York playing CMJ, and your book is helping me stretch my $100 bucks that’s supposed to last me a week.
Best hangover cure: Water and sleep…and a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup! Yummm!
Are you a hipster?: If by hipster you mean the ones described in an Adbusters article I recently came across, then I hope not, haha. I don’t think hipster really means anything. Its more a term to describe fashion people. I think people critique my generation based on the past and struggle so hard to find a word suitable to put us into categories. They’re looking for the hippies, beatniks or punks of our times. I don’t see a point to that but it seems to be important to some. But usually its by some doomsday person who thinks Western society is at its worst when, really, I would have felt that way in the 50s. I think people don’t really realize there are really wonderful kids in our generation..they are the kids that voted the first African American president into office.