Had a weird experience this past Saturday night.
I met a group of friends at Jillian’s to see the Ten Year Vamp show. I love them, the shows are always super fun, and I end up running into their guitarist at business networking events from time to time.
My friends were on the dance floor and as I bounced over to join them, I was hit with a sudden, vicious coughing fit. Then, I realized my eyes were watering uncontrollably, my throat was on fire, and I kept coughing to the point of choking.
I went back to the bar to grab my drink, assuming that I was alone in my sudden-onset, full-body freak-out, and realized that the people all around me were starting to cough and sneeze, too. I heard the lead singer Debbie say, “Sorry guys, something just went off,” then she and the band jumped off the stage and ran outside, along with the entire rest of the bar.
As we all stood outside choking and coughing on the sidewalk, I heard someone say something about the bar getting maced or a pepper spray bomb going off. As my throat was sore for an entire day afterwards (I think I must have walked directly into or through whatever was in the air, as I was the first one to have any sort of reaction), I wouldn’t exactly disagree.
My question is, is this common? Have any Puppies ever heard about this or experienced it themselves? Or, does anyone have an insider scoop as to what happened (we decided to be on the safe side and not re-enter) that will help me understand why it feels as though I survived chemical warfare to go see my favorite local band play?
“Puppies” – I like that! Nope – never experienced that.
This is why I stay away from Pearl street. If it’s not pepper spray or mace, it’s usually a stabbing or shooting.
I was at the Long Branch many years ago and the same thing happened. Awful coughing but no lasting effects. Who and or why would some one do that, I don’t know. Great way to end a night.
I have never experienced this, it’s kind of crazy to be honest.
I usually get hit with the toxic cloud cloud of shame that usually hangs in that place, not pepper spray!…lol
I went to that show myself. I remember just my nose hurting and it spread to my throat, and everyone clearing the bar. It literally tasted like burning, and I wasn’t right the whole next day after either. Though, I did re-enter as the giant fan helped and TYV played once more finishing out their set like champs.
I was out on Pearl Street years ago when the police pepper sprayed the entire street because a fight had gotten out of control. It sounds like some doucher (and Jillian’s is full of them) thought it would be fun to spray mace or pepper spray to get his jollies off. I’m not surprised at all. Maybe you should reconsider hanging out at Jillian’s.
This happened to me many years ago at ABC NoRio in NYC. It was pretty awful trying to file out of an over crowded, drunken, punk rock show in a somewhat panic-less manner. I had the same reaction… coughing, choking, unable to breath even w/ my sleeve over my mouth and nose. It tasted like pure chemicals too. Sucked. Oh the good ol’ days, haha!
This happened to me years ago at Bob’s Diner in Watervliet. That’s what the cops said too. Somebody set mace off outside the door and web someone opened the door it sucked it all in. This was shortly after 9/11 and I assumed it was chemical warfare and people laughed at me but f that. I was outta there in the car with the windows up trying to seal the vents!!!
At Susie’s a few years ago a customer sprayed her (ex) boyfriend with mace and cleared the whole place out. Very few people seem to realize that when sprayed indoors mace/pepper-spray does not just effect the person being sprayed . . . it effects everyone. Also, it makes any beer that happens to be sitting on the bar at the time taste awful (if you can still taste).
Wait…so someone just sprayed pepper spray onto a crowd for fun?!! Isn’t that illegal?
to answer the people who say don’t go to Pearl st. or Jilians-don’t leave your house ever unless you have to-this could have been anywhere ,anytime. you do have to be careful and aware which might not mix w/ too much alcohol but it’s the kind of event that can happen on Lark st. or a dozen other locations. if you’re looking for a motive-anyone jealous of the thousands of people downtown partying to get them to go to a different section of town. don’t let the terrorists win but keep your head clear.
[...] attended: “Oh, you’re Carlene from Skinny Puppy! Yeah, someone was just talking about you and your pepper spray story!” My fame precedes [...]
I had this happen once and it was onions being chopped mixed and the fan vent went into dining room.
I am just now reading this but I was at Jillians that night. I had run upstairs to find friends and was bringing them back downstairs and as I walked into the front room it hit my throat and I start coughing uncontrollably, I immediately ran outside because I knew what it was. (It instantly brought me back to my undergrad days when someone thought it would be a good idea to let off a smoke bomb in a house party.) It takes a while to stop coughing and to stop your eyes from watering and nonetheless it really sucks. I was not a happy camper that night.