The good

Beck

Beck is back. No, not the moody, introspective Beck of Sea Change and this year’s Morning Phase—though he’s still around. We’re talking about Weird ’90s Beck. After a string of recent tours with lackluster gigs ranging from forced to bored, the genre-hopping LA singer took the main stage Sunday evening with a set of souped-up funky tunes, sharp dance moves and revived chemistry with his longtime backing band. Tracks like “Devil’s Haircut,” “Loser” and “Gamma Ray” featured thicker, rawer rhythm sections than on their recorded versions, triggering field-wide dance parties. Meanwhile, Beck’s turns on the mic for “Loser” and “Guero” saw the return of his trademark cheeky-languid delivery that first turned heads 20 years ago. But the singer still proved he can bring a crowd to its knees, performing wrenching version of ballads “Blue Moon” and “Golden Age”—only to raise them up again with “Debra,” a wry R&B slow jam delivered with the signature freaky flair of Beck at his best.

Neutral Milk Hotel’s anti-photo ethos

When Neutral Milk Hotel forbade media and fans from shooting photos or videos of their dusk set on the Outdoor stage—including live video feeds for those farther back in the crowd—I’ll admit I rolled my eyes. Frontman Jeff Mangum, a noted recluse and curmudgeon, issued a similar mandate during his 2012 solo shows at the festival. But when they started playing, the effect was striking—so common are raised arms gripping camera phones at festivals that it’s easy to forget just how much they clutter our line of sight and interfere with connecting to the performance. For a band noted for the vulnerability of its music, that clarity—both visually and existentially—could not have been more important.

The bad

The VIP section

Arcade Fire’s Win Butler knocked the VIP section during his band’s Sunday night set, and it’s not hard to understand why. If you’re considering buying a VIP ticket to Coachella, consider saving yourself the extra $450 it costs to upgrade. VIP may have its perks—and with this year’s traffic, closer parking and faster entrance are no small things—but the space itself is an incubator for everything (and everyone) awful about Coachella. Real amenities are few and far between (unless you count standing in line for food trucks you can catch on any given day in LA), and the prime draw seems to be access to an overcrowded place where people go to see and be seen—and definitely not pay attention to the music.

Justin Bieber’s surprise performance

Coachella, stop trying to make Justin Bieber happen. He’s not going to happen.

The awesome

The rise of Disclosure

Looking out at the sea of people flooding the Outdoor Stage for Disclosure’s Sunday night set, it’s difficult to imagine the duo at the same time last year, playing to a sparse but committed crowd in the Gobi Tent during an unfavorable time slot up against the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I was lucky enough to wander into that set, floored by their sophisticated performance and the welcoming, unpretentious dance party it fostered. But that was a year ago, and Disclosure has since gone on to infiltrate the mainstream dance music world with impressive momentum, now drawing the same bros and sorority chicks who last year were busy casually rocking out with Anthony Kiedis or fist pumping to Kaskade. With the larger crowd and string of canceled shows—including Vegas—preceding their Coachella set, expectations were admittedly low. Instead, the pair returned to Coachella with one of the most kinetic, engaging sets of the festival, maintaining the visceral energy and inviting intimacy that made last year’s performance so magnetic, despite a crowd four times the size. Their melodic, pop-friendly tunes have served as a sort of gateway drug to house music for mainstream EDM fans and dance music skeptics alike, and the set’s success proved to be a testament to both Disclosure’s prowess as electronic musicians and Coachella’s role in fostering the genre’s evolution/growth among fans.

Surprise performances

Justin Bieber aside, the hallmark of this year’s festival was arguably the unprecedented slate of more than 20 surprise guest performances, often featuring artists bigger than the acts they were supporting. The final day’s highlights included Sam Smith, AlunaGeorge and Mary J. Blige during Disclosure’s massive dance party, the latter of whom’s vocal performance reminded us what live elements in dance music are all about. Drake supported on the rise songstress Jhene Aiko, while Slash’s jam with Motorhead brought together the festival’s two greatest hats. Debbie Harry’s superb Arcade Fire cameo for “Heart of Glass” and “Sprawl II,” meanwhile, was a fitting throwback to dance music’s disco roots. There’s no telling whether the guest spots will return next weekend—or be replaced with others—but they’ve made for a welcome element of spontaneity and distinction between Coachella’s otherwise copycat weekends.