Kevin Bronson on April 11th, 2015

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Just past 8 o’clock on Friday night, after Alabama Shakes had serenaded a splendid desert sunset in Indio, two twenty-something dudes skipped like schoolchildren toward the Outdoor Theatre at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. “Reelin’ in the years, bro!” one cried.

He was not being ironic. Bros were was stoked to see Steely Dan, the 1970s sophisticates anchored by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, two sixty-somethings who along with Charles Bradley and headliners AC/DC repped the AARP set more than adequately.

The climate-perfect first day of Coachella 2015 was a place to respect, not reject, your elders; a place where headdresses seemed to mercifully have fallen out of fashion; a place rappers shined and Alesso exploded; a place where synth-pop remained in and British rock reunions remained out; and a place where a feast for the eyes meant only a walk across the polo field.

There were cameos, but not the rush of them that 2014 brought: Jennifer Hudson guested with Gorgon City; Bryan Ferry joined Todd Terje; and Joey Bada$$ crashed Kiesza’s set. Sir Paul McCartney and Lars Ulrich were among those spotted during AC/DC’s set; George Lopez yukked it up sidestage during Action Bronson; and Wayne Coyne, Justin Bieber, Josh Duhamel and Katy Perry were spotted in the vicinity.

Following are the Buzz Bands LA team’s capsule reviews of selected sets, by Kevin Bronson, Seraphina Lotkhamnga and Ben McShane. Imagine a big bell onstage, and it’s time to ring it.

Photos by Bronson