Maybe growing a beard to try and dodge the ID checkers at SXSW was a mistake, because a skinny dude in a Led Zeppelin t-shirt asked me if I had any acid. He was the third person to ask me for drugs during Tuesday night’s Road to Ultra Music Festival showcase at La Zona Rosa.

But then progressive house duo Sultan and Ned Shepard got their set going, and I forgot all about my facial hair-related issues. Partners since 2002, they have amassed a powerful resume of work, having remixed Lady Gaga, Tiesto and Madonna among others, along with numerous production credits and music of their own.

As soon as they got going, the house became packed and energetic, a rapid change from a few minutes before. Sultan and Shepard egged the crowd on with spectacular drops, new original house tracks and snippets of pop songs, including their remix of Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven,” The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop.” The last was especially fitting, since I saw a guy in a fur coat with lights.

There was no lack of visual stimuli, with a 3-D display in the podium and a screen behind the DJs and, to the joy of the crowd, two pairs of sexy backup dancers, dressed in what I have come to believe is the standard club girl outfit: an Ultra Music tank top partially cut around the middle, booty shorts, fishnets and ankle-high furry boots.

My first live DJ experience can definitely be pronounced a success. I look forward to seeing more, though hopefully people will stop thinking I am a drug dealer now that I have shaved.