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"Red" Hot

Let's call dance music a prescription drug: a glorious pharmaceutical cocktail that's part Xanax, part Zoloft and part Viagra. For legendary dance music DJ-producer-songwriter Tony Moran, it's a pill he's been happy to pop -- and push on others -- for 21 years.

Moran's addiction has made him one of the hottest, most requested DJs on the circuit. The two-time Grammy nominee is currently globe-trotting on his Tour De Beats and is stopping by Houston for what promises to be a steamy Valentine's Day party, "Red" at South Beach. In same the vein as the Moran-hosted, downright scandalous "White" and "Winter" theme parties in Miami, the event encourages partyers to show up in their sexiest red and shake it until dawn.

"I am going to give Houston something special," says Moran, who promises to spin until at least 5:30 a.m. for wide-eyed ass-shakers. Seven hours on the tables is hardly a chore for the man who's worked with the likes of Cher, Celine Dion and Beyoncé, producing remixes that have blown up dance floors worldwide. "I love playing music," he says. "I love the people, and I love the way they react." Last year, after a brief hiatus, Moran played to sweaty crowds in eight international cities, including San Francisco, Montreal and Rio de Janeiro, where he played Carnaval. "The crowd was so touched by what I played," recalls Moran. "Some started cheering so loud that I started crying."

So don't be surprised if you're, well, aroused by Moran's Valentine's Day set. When he plays, "everything leads to a lot of activity going on," he says. "There are so many spaces that you can go to with the hearts, the minds and the libido."

Libido? "I don't like people walking around with hard-ons all night," Moran says with a laugh, "but I really feel the desire to tap into the audiences and feel that energy." Hmm, looks like that pill is starting to kick in.

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Travis Ritter