THE GORGE, Washington--In a setting this unbelievably spectacular, the music better be good.

And on the first day of the Sasquatch Music Festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre in central Washington, it certainly was.

Whether it was the cross-cultural appeal of rebel folk hero Manu Chao, the jubilee rock of Arcade Fire, or a funky set from the Beastie Boys on instruments, the music over the course of more than 12 hours Saturday was diverse, well-crafted, and, at times, thrilling.

More than 22,000 people started pouring into this music venue along the Columbia River Gorge at around noon, each having many choices in front of them. Park at the main stage or jump around between the three stages to see some of the smaller acts on the bill? Grab an elevated spot with a view of the gorge or get close to the stage? Get in line now for the porta-potties in case you have to go in three hours?

Here's a rundown of the musical treats from Day One at Sasquatch, in reverse order of performance:

Bjork

The Icelandic pop queen had the unenviable task of following a roaring set from Arcade Fire, and for the first third of her 90-minute set, she was up to the challenge. As usual, Bjork looked every bit the part of the doll-like eccentric siren that she has been for more than 20 years, taking the stage wearing a mustard-colored, almost friar monklike dress and a bit of face paint on her forehead. She was backed by a 10-piece female horn section, all of whom were wearing brightly colored robes and neon face paint.

But after a handful of rich, eclectic electronic pop tracks, including a fiery version of "Earth Intruders," the hue of the music was no match for the bright colors on stage. Bjork is touring in support of her new album, Volta, but few of the new songs had the adventure and fire of her older material.

The standout track of the set was "I Miss You." Set to a scattershot beat and a throbbing bass line, rapid-fire horn flourishes and Bjork's impassioned vocals poured from the stage. The momentum did not last, however, and many fans chose the warmth of their tents at the campground in the distance to the latter half of her mostly mellow set.

Arcade Fire

This Montreal-based band has exploded over the past three years, morphing from one of many Canadian collectives on the come-up to one of the most revered rock bands around. The 10-piece group took the stage last night to roars from the crowd and delivered a set full of tracks that, at their core, are ripe for what Arcade Fire does best: freewheeling, spiritualized jubilee rock.

The set leaned heavily on tracks from its 2004 debut full-length, Funeral, like "Rebellion (Lies)" and "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)," both highlights on Saturday. Most tracks built to a crescendo, with frontman Win Butler seeming to push the group to new heights with a foot stomp or an extra punchy guitar lick. "Keep the Car Running," from the band's highly acclaimed Neon Bible, which hit stores in March, was a riveting, foot-stomping number.

Arcade Fire also has the theatrics of the live performance down pat, with everyone in the band exuding passion with each note. Butler's wife, Regine Chassagne, was the one to watch on that front, as she moved from hurdy gurdy (wheel fiddle) and keyboards to accordion and a stellar stint on drums without missing a beat. By the time she and the rest of the band jumped into their customary finale, "Wake Up," it was impossible not to get caught up in Arcade Fire's enchanting church of rock.

Manu Chao

You don't become one of the most cross-culturally appealing musical artists in the world by making complex music, and Manu Chao certainly fits the bill. The superstar, born in Paris to Spanish parents, attracts tens of thousands of fans to his shows all over the world, mixing Latin, jam rock, and dub reggae into a danceable mélange. Chao and his band, Radio Bemba Sound System, had thousands swaying Saturday night, mostly to tracks from his 2002 album, Radio Bemba Sound System.

Chao has a new album on the way in September and debuted its first single, "Rainin in Paradize," on Saturday. The song is more of the same from Chao, with lyrics decrying the current state of the world set to an ultracatchy groove. It is available as a free download on Chao's Web site. Chao seems to be one of the few performers able to grasp the crowd in the palm of his hand without having to rely on pleas for approval. He did that Saturday night with a set of music that anybody with a pulse would want to dance to, regardless of whether Chao was singing in Spanish, French, or English, as he did throughout the set.

Beastie Boys

In the days leading up to Sasquatch, the "instrumental" set from the Beastie Boys on the smaller Wookie Stage was by far the most buzzed-about performance of the weekend. But apparently one of hip-hop's legendary groups was unsure if they could keep an audience rapt for an hour with just instrumental numbers, so they mixed in some vocals tracks.

Taking the stage in natty suits and shades, the trio of Mike D, Ad Rock, and MCA was joined by regular percussionist Alfredo "Fredo" Ortiz and longtime "fourth Beastie" Money Mark on keyboards.

Kicking off with the fuzzed-out funk of "Gratitude," the band was scorching from the outset. They mixed in instrumental tracks like "Groove Holmes" with hip-hop hits like "Remote Control," and the Wookie Stage meadow swelled dramatically, with the crowd expanding outside the meadow and into the venue's walkways.

The group seemed to have some kinks to work out, as there were lengthy gaps between songs and a few false starts. But the set served as a teaser of sorts for the band's longer set on the main stage the next night.

Ghostland Observatory

Speaking of technical difficulties, no one had to deal with more on Saturday than Ghostland Observatory, the Austin, Texas-based electro funk duo. Midway through the group's fantastic set, the power on the Wookie Stage went out. Given that the group derives its sound almost entirely from the knobs, keyboards, and electronic effects of mastermind Thomas Turner, the set came to a screeching halt.

It was a shame, because there wasn't a more exciting frontman at Sasquatch than Ghostland singer/guitarist Aaron Behrens, who mixes the classic style of hair-band frontmen like Axl Rose with a hip-hop swagger and a booming voice. The group debuted some new material, mixing Behrens' funky guitar licks with an array of electro-synth flourishes and dirty beats.

Ozomatli

Nobody turns the party out quite like Ozomatli, which had the main stage rocking under beaming sunshine Saturday afternoon. The LA-based Latin funk collective shines in a live setting, showing off a balance of precision and malleability in their songs that a lot of bands would kill for.

The band kicked off with the Latin funk of "Dos Cosas," moving quickly into the stellar "City of Angels" and the catchy "Can't Stop." Ozomatli has a little bit of something for everyone in its sonic stew, whether it's the snapping horn stabs, the Cuban son-style vocals of singer Asdru, or the propulsive bass of Wil-Dog.

The set jacked up the energy in the Gorge for the first time of the day, particularly on "La Segundo Mano," a blistering track that blends Mexican Jarochos rhythms with Afrika Bambaata-style electro funk à la "Planet Rock." It was a truly unique sound that was weird and innovative but still kept people dancing.

Electrelane

Best known as the band that landed the coveted opening slot for The Arcade Fire's North American summer tour, England's Electrelane wasted no time proving they are more than just another opening bill. The band's makeup defies its sound. Judging a book by its cover, you wouldn't be able to tell that four polite British women would throw it down as hard as they do.

A dizzying mix of Stereolab, Joy Division, and just about everything on their label Too Pure, Electrelane delivered a incredibly loud, dizzying set, that constantly straddled the line between open-heart emotion and downright grooves. Their sound is full of choral-like vocals, pounding bass, and rapid-fire keyboards, but the real draw is the guitar work of Mia Clarke, who was simply amazing.

Two Gallants

San Francisco's Two Gallants performed as a trio on Saturday at the Wookie Stage, adding a third friend referred to only as "Cody." However, the focus was still on guitarist/vocalist Adam Stephens and drummer Tyson Vogel. The band tore through their 50-minute set, playing a mix of old songs and new material.

The crowd was most appreciative of "Steady Rolling," with Adam subbing in lyrics about falling down the stairs and vomiting in his shoe, but Two Gallants were at their best during "Little Eliza," which saw the duo alternating lyrics on one of their strongest songs to date.

The Hold Steady

Although their sound and persona is a much better fit for a dank, beer-soaked club than a gorgeous, huge outdoor festival, Minneapolis heavyweights The Hold Steady definitely made it work. Because they're so fun and rambunctious, it's easy to overlook the quality of the band's songwriting.

On "Citrus," frontman Craig Finn dropped lines like, "I've had kisses that make Judas seem sincere," adding a bite to the celebratory proceedings.

This is a band that makes E Street Band-style pub rock, and they do it so well that they can make a spectacular river gorge feel like a musty tavern--and that's quite a feat.

The Saturday Knights

This Seattle-based hip-hop group is as much a social experiment as a band. The group is fronted by two rappers with big personalities: Tilson, whose multicolored onstage outfit mixed bright gold kicks with red-and-blue striped socks, and Barfly, a heavily tattooed cat who looks like he's enjoyed a few pints in his day.

Both MCs have their tongues firmly placed in cheek, and they're complemented by DJ Suspense, whose flair for rare groove samples gives the sound an old-school flavor. The standout track was "45," the lead single off their forthcoming debut album.

Blitzen Trapper

Fans who wandered into the Yeti Stage area for refreshments Saturday afternoon were greeted with a dose of alt-country with an electronic twist. Blitzen Trapper, a Portland, Oregon-based five piece band, kicked off Day One with a batch of tunes that adeptly mixed such disparate elements as twangy vocals and blippy electronics.

The band has a new album on the way and is hitting the road with The Hold Steady. The highlight of the band's set was the new single "Wild Mountain Nation," a track that features a barnstorming chorus and sounds a bit like mid-'70s Grateful Dead.