Dance-music fans step up the energy

From Christopher Lawrence to Masters at Work (the DJ team of Little Louie Vega and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez), Day 1 of the Coachella festival’s dance-music lineup was rich with memorable performances. However, the dance MVP was the fans.

From early Saturday afternoon until the end of Roger Sanchez’s set around midnight, dance enthusiasts filled the expansive Sahara tent with an electricity that never faded and often eclipsed the festival’s two stages and two other tents.

L.A.’s Lawrence was an early beneficiary of the celebratory throng. Lawrence did his part, delivering a jaw-dropping 90-minute set of seamless segues and huge synthesizer grooves. Later, Lawrence, who spun in the 3:30 to 5 p.m. slot, said, “It felt like night in there; the crowd was incredible.”

That mood carried on for popular Chicago house DJ Felix da Housekat. While Felix has a different vibe than Lawrence, the crowd greeted him with abandon as he took over to the repeated refrain, “From disco to disco.” His song selection was impeccable, and dance anthems from New Order and Prince were huge crowd favorites.

The next set was maybe the most intriguing of the dance acts. As the former DJ for Underworld, Darren Emerson is widely respected, but he’s appeared disinterested in recent performances in L.A. Emerson seemed to be a changed man under the spotlight of Coachella, though. He waved wildly and danced around the stage. Musically, he laced his progressive grooves with an array of bongo and percussion records that added a world-music feel to his set.

As the night wore on, dance music spread to other tents, with drum-and-bass act Dillinja & Lemon D and live sets from electro-clash act Ladytron and Groove Armada drawing fans out of the Sahara tent. Technical glitches in the Gobi and Mojave tents failed to dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm.

Dillinja & Lemon D were victimized by poor sound; about 20 minutes into their set, the volume dropped noticeably. It was disappointing, as the duo showed a lot of promise, incorporating unexpected melody into the normally frenetic world of D&B.;

More serious technical problems forced Ladytron and Groove Armada to go on 90 minutes late. But those who waited found it worth their time, as Ladytron’s new-wave vibe (like that of underrated ‘80s band the Waitresses) was endearing if not groundbreaking. And playing as a quintet, Groove Armada got in touch with the rock and soul side it shows on its recent “Lovebox” CD.

The delay in the Mojave tent meant Groove Armada went head to head with Sanchez. If the competition stole some of the New York DJ’s thunder, he still lived up to his status as one of the architects of modern dance music. While fans pressed against the barricade as if at a rock concert, Sanchez mixed house with heavy percussion, Latin rhythms and expert transitions.

As they had all day, the diverse crowd, which ranged in age from preteens to fans in their 40s, responded with smiles, dancing and a passion that impressed even the most jaded dance-music lovers.