Dramatically less rowdy crowd at Freak Night this year

SEATTLE - Thousands danced up a storm Saturday night at Century Link’s WAMU theatre in an event known as Freak Night.

It’s an electronic dance concert that came with drug overdoses, assaults and out of control partiers last year.

But as of Saturday night all the extra security and the overall safety message seemed to be working. The two night event started Friday night and it attracted 19,000 people. This year’s crowd has been dramatically less rowdy than last year.

Once they are in the rules are, everyone stays for the whole 8 hour dance fest.

“It rattles your whole body,” said participant Jonah Wilson.

“We woke up this morning like Oh God are we really doing this again and we got here and got psyched up ready to go again,” said participant Josh Lindsay.

Three different stages, three different beats but for some concert goers drugs are even more popular than the DJ.

I have a couple of friends who do it I don’t really care as long as they are smart about it at the least,” said Ashley LaBreck.

Molly, short for molecule, is a purer version of ecstasy that is all too common in these events.

Last year there were multiple overdose calls even complaints of people getting drugged up even before they got into the venue.  It was such a problem Seattle police are no longer allowing off duty cops to work at the event saying it’s a conflict of interest.

“It puts officers in an awkward position with working secondary employment when something illegal is happening in the vicinity it’s put them in an awkward position,” said Seattle Police Spokesperson Sean
Whitcomb.

But extra police and medics were on standby Saturday night.

Freak Night organizers say they also came armed with a new security strategy.

“I think having two entrances to the event helped a lot keeps the line moving quickly,” said USC
Event Promoter Alex Fryer.

“They really have been patting down people really well, making sure they are not carrying in anything,” said Wilson.

About 150 extra private security guards are on the lookout for illegal activity but organizers believe there is one thing perhaps making the biggest difference.

The Good Samaritan law if you are in need of medical attention or your friend get that help don’t worry about getting busted or arrested,” said Fryer.

If a person calls for help they cannot get prosecuted even if they are on drugs.

Organizers promoted that law through a PA system during the event.

Seattle Fire said they received 13 ambulance calls for dehydration and some possibly due to alcohol or drugs. But authorities say that was still tame compared to what they saw last year.