INDIO, Calif.--Reunited headliner Jane's Addiction [ tickets ] was one clear--though happy--exception to the new-music thrust of the 2nd Coachella Music and Arts Festival, which took place in this Southern California desert town on Saturday (5/28).

The joys of anthems we all know and hum weren't the point of this 5-stage festival. Ruling the day instead were cutting-edge acts like Sigur Ros, Mos Def, and--especially--high-endurance DJ sets from the likes of Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers and Paul Oakenfold.

Since American audiences still have little exposure to European-style music festivals, promoters Goldenvoice needed the security of a major headliner to attract a healthy audience for this year's eclectic Coachella lineup. Ably filling the bill was Jane's Addiction, led by cheerfully swaggering frontman Perry Farrell [ tickets ]. Farrell--short-haired now, but no less an outrageously entertaining rock star--confidently traveled through a set of familiar Jane's Addiction tunes.

The production featured many of the visual touches for which Farrell has become known--costume changes, nearly naked dancers, metallic desert set pieces, etc. Farrell even performed two songs ("Jane Says" and "Been Caught Stealing") from a stage that sprouted suddenly from the soundboard platform. In place of the usual encore craziness was a strange bit involving a former Sudanese political prisoner and, later, a kettle-drum solo.

Elsewhere, and at all times after 2:30 p.m., there was just too much good stuff to keep up with. The printed schedule was more of a suggested order, and even that changed often enough to disorient the concert-goer determined to catch everything.

The strong hip-hop artist contingent was led off by party-vibing Souls of Mischief, crowd-pleasing Del the Funky Homosapien, and rhyme-crafting the Roots. But funky French arranger St Germain and critic's favorite Mos Def did them one better. St. Germain made the most out of a large-format band that had the tightness of a seasoned jazz outfit, while Mos Def's pounding rhythm section (with former members of Bad Brains) steadily drew in listeners from other areas of the grounds.

Rightly or wrongly, rock commandeered the mainstage. Iggy Pop turned in a muscular set with a great sense of timing--having just turned 54, he looks better now than he did in much younger years. Weezer's pop craftsmanship always goes over well, but the singing along of the band's devoted fans' sometimes sucked the life from their hits. But an unannounced new song or two off its upcoming album restored the independent, alternative sensibility toward which leader Rivers Cuomo has often steered the band's career.

Dance music was the real hit of the festival--the audiences for these acts often outgrew their stage areas. Sets by Roni Size and Tricky drew big crowds, even pitted against Fatboy Slim, Jane's Addiction and Kruder and Dorfmeister on other stages. Spinner Swedish Egil got the big dance tent going early with a skillful combination of trance and drum 'n bass. California-based club acts Uberzone and the legendary Doc Martin had local-fan energy to push already-wicked sets into the stratosphere. The melodic modulations of a visually intense mainstage set by Paul Oakenfold was proof that DJ music of the right kind can command an arena-sized venue.

The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim, who specifically demanded to do their sets indoors, gave no quarter to the casual dancer in their sweltering, packed tent. Those seeking dancing room (rather than bodies to grind against) found themselves rewarded in Kruder and Dorfmeister's mellower--but spirited--small-tent set.

Though already popular in Europe, the two newest artists to American audiences at Coachella were vocalist Nikka Costa and Sigur Ros. Fiery redhead Costa (niece to producer Don Costa and goddaughter of Frank Sinatra) has the high, belting pipes of a soul sister, but her stage persona is schizophrenic (from Sheryl Crow to Aretha Franklin, from jazz vocalist to streetwalker), and her band was a mess during any attempts to solo or jam. Iceland's Sigur Ros (riding high ever since Radiohead's Thom Yorke cited them as an influence for "Kid A") delivered a set punctuated by angelic vocals to a reverent crowd.

Credit Goldenvoice with a desire to get this festival thing "right." The first Coachella show--a lauded 2-day show in 1999 that restored the public image of music festivals from the disastrous fires and sexual assaults of Woodstock '99--lost money. Goldenvoice booked this year's 47-act bill beautifully and kept the overall feeling positive, but perhaps some corners were cut. Though the event did not sell out (a crowd of about 35,000 was on hand, according to an event publicist), food and bathroom lines were prohibitive from 3 p.m. onward, and a total absence of trash cans made litter a big issue as the day turned to night.

Worse than any of that, however, two of the five stages were so far behind schedule that their headliners--the Orb and Gangstarr--were both rudely unplugged during sets that were developing into masterpieces.