Traffic, police, lines await music revelers at EDC

The anticipation was obvious Friday night.

Cars clogged Interstate 15 from Craig Road to Las Vegas Motor Speedway a few miles up the road, slowing the sweaty and often scantily clad passengers to a standstill.

Electric Daisy Carnival was finally here, bringing thumping electronic music, elaborate light shows and the country's largest rave of the year here for the first of three nights.

The party's other side, however, quickly became apparent. Cars approaching the parking lot were greeted by a flashing sign.

"Narcotic dogs on property," it read. Another message warned of searches.

Police on dirt bikes patrolled the lot, with others on horses and motorcycles watching the entrances. The line for the first security checkpoint was smooth. Security was checking IDs only. However, the next line for pat-downs and bag emptying moved an inch a minute at best, taking a couple hours to finally walk through the speedway and onto the infield.

"I have enough 'molly' on me to kill 10 people," said one raver standing in line, not afraid of the stepped-up security.

Molly is slang for the hallucinogenic Ecstasy, which also gives ravers hours worth of energy to dance until sunrise.

Security or not, Mario Molina of Los Angeles doesn't do Ecstasy .

"I don't mess with pills," said the 20- year-old while standing in line. He rode the bus here for all three nights of the rave.

"I drink. That's safer. Pills are a big thing here. I'll tell you that for sure."

Molina was at last year's Los Angeles Electric Daisy Carnival, where a 15-year-old girl died of Ecstasy overdose, forcing organizers to uproot the carnival from its 14-year home, bringing it to Las Vegas this year.

The party was calm, at least for the first few hours before the newspaper's deadline Friday night.

Las Vegas police Capt. David O'Leary said that aside from clogged lines and traffic, everything was fine and no arrests had been made.

Most people were still in line outside trickling in at 10 p.m. However, reports from ravers waiting in line -- received through Twitter ---- told of people collapsing while standing in line. One ambulance was seen driving off with its sirens screaming.

Contact Trevon Milliard at tmilliard@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.