all words: Chris Kelly
all EPIC photos: Shauna Alexander

DC needs another hip-hop / electro night like you need an asshole on your elbow. With that in mind, TGRIOnline.com brought together DJ Stereo Faith, DJ Trevor Martin, and the boys from Rattler for a night of rock revelry at Asylum. This recap took a little longer than usual to write, mainly because my ears finally stopped ringing, but also because I’ve just recently been able to piece together the unabashed hedonism that went down on Thursday.

Ever notice that Stereo Faith’s Twitter photo is Ian Curtis? Or that Trevor Martin looks more skate punk that crate digger? There’s a reason for that. Apart from being two of the most cutting edge DJs in the DC scene, they really know classic rock – not the Hits of the Seventies Classic Rock Radio variety, but the notes from the underground that fermented in clubs, basements, and garages in Detroit and NYC. As always, they were on-point, perfectly channeling the crowd’s energy right back through the speakers.

The crowd packed the upstairs bar at Asylum early, drinking cheap whiskey and PBR (without irony), before The World’s Greatest Band even showed up. So by the time Scott Rattler hopped on the bar to eat a beer, the promised “excellence in rock decadence” was in full effect. Good news: Rattler is just as big a spectacle as hosts in the crowd as they are as rock gods on stage.

There were beer bongs. There was leather. There was moshing. And while “up to eleven” has become the ultimate rock joke / cliché, it was damn loud - the proper way to listen to bands like the Stooges and the Misfits. To say that the crowd was appreciative is an understatement. For kids that grew up scrawling band names and anarchy symbols on their Chucks, wearing a lot of black, and trying to live a rock and roll lifestyle before they could drive, Over the Edge was a big slice of nostalgia. The way some people react when a DJ plays “Juicy” is the way I react when I hear “Kick out the Jams:” pure sing-along, dance-along elation.

For a party inspired by the cult film of the same name, how do you top what happened on Thursday night? Add some grunge to the mix, and do it all again next month. FUN FACT: the music video that launched a thousand flannels, "Smells Like Teen Spirit," is based in part on Over the Edge. So if you were 9 when Kurt died (like me), come out, lose control, and go over the edge.

p.s. the annual Rattler Holiday show is this Saturday @ RNR Hotel. BE THERE.

Previously in Live DC:

• 5/25: LiveDC: Simian Mobile Disco DJ Set @ U Hall
• 5/25: LiveDC: The Polyphonic Spree @ Sixth & I
• 5/24: LiveDC: The Adicts @ RNR Hotel
• 5/24: LiveDC: The Donkeys @ Black Cat
• 5/23: LiveDC: The Barr Brothers w/ Kishi Bashi @ The Hamilton
• 5/23: LiveDC: Damien Jurado @ Black Cat
• 5/23: Report: Soundbites 2012
• 5/22: LiveDC: Spirit Animal @ Red Palace
• 5/22: LiveDC: Astra Via @ Black Cat
• 5/22: LiveDC: Father John Misty @ Rock & Roll Hotel