In Austin, a lively gathering known as “Spill It” is captivating audiences with its unique blend of humor and real-life anecdotes. At a recent event held at the East End Ballroom, attendees were treated to an array of entertaining stories, including one particularly memorable tale shared by Amelia Johnson, who unexpectedly found herself on stage recounting a rather shocking incident.
Johnson’s story, which took place at a well-known grocery store where she worked, involved a man who, to the horror and amusement of the audience, began to defecate in the cosmetics aisle. “Some guy comes through, and he kind of just starts s- – – -ing his pants, kind of like in the cosmetic section,” she recounted, eliciting groans and laughter from listeners. The man continued his unfortunate journey to the restroom, leaving a chaotic mess for maintenance to address, a sight that remains etched in Johnson’s memory.
The Spill It event, which invites participants to share juicy stories without any prior experience required, has quickly gained popularity since its inception this year. Founder Beverlyn González was inspired to create this platform after attending a storytelling event at South by Southwest. She aimed to keep the narratives brief—around three minutes—while fostering an environment that is both lighthearted and relatable.
“We all have those stories that we tell our friends, that we’ll repeat a lot or that all of our friends know, and it’s crazy, and then no one else knows,” González explained. She believes that everyone has intriguing tales worth sharing, regardless of their background or experience in public speaking. She also infuses her cultural heritage into the event, prompting the audience to chant “chisme,” the Spanish word for gossip, between stories.
“I’m Latina. ‘El chisme’ runs in our blood,” she noted with a laugh. “I was like wait, I need to make my ancestors proud. The novelas, you know, all of that is in our culture, and we love it.”
Since its debut in April at Lefty’s Day & Night, Spill It has evolved, moving to various venues and covering diverse themes such as family drama, travel tales, and workplace gossip—the latter being the focus of the recent show. Johnson’s story, titled “The S- – -cident,” was among many shared at the adults-only event, where performers exchanged accounts of inappropriate bosses, unfaithful coworkers, and spectacularly failed firings. Each story was met with reactions ranging from disbelief to laughter and enthusiastic chants of “chisme!” from the audience.
This was Johnson’s first experience at Spill It, and she described her on-stage appearance as a spontaneous decision she didn’t regret. At the conclusion of the night, the audience voted on their favorite tales across different categories, with Johnson winning the title of “funniest spill,” which came with a trophy and a $25 prize.
“[Spill It] is like, let’s just have normal people hang out and talk about what’s been going on because we can all relate to it in some way or another,” Johnson reflected.
The relatability of these narratives—real-life gossip from everyday individuals—has contributed to a growing audience, with the workplace drama show selling out at 650 tickets. Audience member Caitlin McOsker expressed her enjoyment, stating, “I love the stories that it stirs up in myself. It feels like you’re very connected to all these random strangers in a room. We’re all just getting together to listen to the same fun stuff.”
Spill It is currently touring, with upcoming events scheduled in cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, and Houston. Ticket prices vary based on location, and plans are in place for the event to return to Austin in December. For those interested in sharing their own stories, details on how to participate can be found on the event’s Instagram page.
