Celebrating punk rock and 20 years of Crash Bang Boom

Breaking the rules

As they speak with me, flocks of teenagers—some with their parents—and young goths in a mishmash of dark frills and striped socks pore over spikey collars and shiny metal bracelets within the glass counter. “I have no concept of time,” Jolles admits. Crash Bang Boom’s intersection of musical subcultures and fashion spans generations, since opening in July 2005.

The one-story boutique offers the iconic flair of punk, metal, and goth clothing, presented within a narrow interior of neon colors contrasted with jet black contours. Leather jackets, hair dyes, jewelry, and band tee shirts comprise some of its most popular wares. “To me, punk rock doesn't really have a meaning,” says Windfelder, a born-and-raised Philadelphian who currently resides in Port Richmond. “It's just expressing yourself and not being trapped by the rules.”

Windfelder, who describes his age as “too old,” recalls holding band practice as a teenager in the 70s at Johnny Brenda’s back when it was closed on Sundays due to the liquor laws at the time. Today, he plays guitar in the band Live Not On Evil in his time outside the shop.

Crash Bang Boom's story begins when another ends. Windfelder and Jolles previously operated the storied Zipperhead punk rock store around the corner on Fourth and South Streets, which originally opened in the early 80s by its original owner, Rick Milan.

The Dead Milkmen's 1988 hit song “Punk Rock Girl” even mentions Zipperhead in its opening verse. “It was a dream world, dude, for a young teenage punk kid,” says Johnny Douglas, 38, of South Philadelphia. Douglas says he first met the future Crash Bang Boom owners shopping at Zipperhead in 2003. “It was almost like a rite of passage, like, you're a punk rocker, over the span of a certain decade or so, you got your first leather jacket at Zipperhead.”

The Zipperhead storefront remains a fixture on South Street, adorned with giant ants on the second story and a giant zipper painted up the middle. Windfelder and Jolles took over ownership of Zipperhead in 2000. But in 2005, the Zipperhead lease was up, and Windfelder says he was unable to come to terms on a new agreement.

Turning the corner

“As long as we were moving out of that legendary location, we wanted to really forge something that was completely our own,” Windfelder says. Thus, Crash Bang Boom opened its doors on South Fourth Street on July 1, 2005. Windfelder says they closed for four days to move through the backyard of Zipperhead to their new home around the block.

“We still get people that go, 'Oh my gosh, you guys moved around the corner,' 20 years later,” says Windfelder. “See, that shows you don't ever close for four days.”

Crash Bang Boom’s onomatopoeia-derived name was chosen from a handful of options among its employees, says Jolle. They followed up with an advertising campaign to publicize their move: “Zipperhead goes 'Crash Bang Boom'.”

“We all had ropes on the front of the building and we were pulling it down,” Jolle says. “It kind of went over everybody's head, but we had fun.” Crash Bang Boom commemorated their 20 years during the Summer Solstice Block Party in June. The all-ages festival was held on several blocks down South Fourth Street with multiple stages, musical guests and vendors. Crash Bang Boom bookended the north end of the block party with its own stage hosting DJs and bands. The Dead Milkmen even showed up for a surprise performance.

Longtime customers like Johnny Douglas have also graduated to collaborators. He now silkscreen prints the Crash Bang Boom shirts sold at their store. While Zipperhead's days are now the lore of yesteryear, Crash Bang Boom carries on the tradition with its inventory.

“If you still want to go get a pair of black stretch jeans and a leather jacket, and some of the best tee shirts of the best bands ever,“ Douglas says, “The staples are all absolutely still there.”