Punk rock items among Havoc offerings in Grants Pass
When Los Angeles native Ethan Kline moved to Southwestern Oregon during 2000, he realized that something was missing.
Ethan Kline, Havoc owner. (Photo by Scott Jorgensen 'I.V. News')
Having spent the ‘80s and ‘90s working in L.A.’s famed garment district, Kline was accustomed to stores that sell music merchandise. The lack of any similar establishments in this area quickly caught his attention -- so he decided to open his own.
“Basically, I noticed that this town had no store like this,” Kline said.
Located at 604 S.E. Sixth St. in Grants Pass, Havoc offers a variety of items, including T-shirts, beanies, sunglasses, belts, body jewelry, and hats. Ash trays, incense holders, wallets, patches, watches, stickers, shot glasses, posters, sweatshirts and purses are among other items.
Kline said that Havoc is a great place for fans of punk rock, hip-hop and heavy metal artists to find the gear they are looking for.
“We have a lot of different genres here,” he said.
A sample of shirts available at Havoc. (Photo by Scott Jorgensen 'I.V. News')
Kline said that he helped run clothing shops in Hollywood, and uses the contacts he made during that time to bring the lowest possible costs to his customers.
While in the City of Angels, he said, his clientele included celebrities including comedians David Spade and Chevy Chase, as well as musicians David Lee Roth, Rick James, Billy Preston and members of the “Red Hot Chili Peppers.”
The T-shirts adorning Havoc’s walls feature such punk rock favorites as the “Misfits,” “Social Distortion,” the “Ramones” and “Suicidal Tendencies.” Merchandise for reggae legend Bob Marley also has proven quite popular, Kline said.
Kline opened Havoc in September, and has relied on word-of-mouth to build his customer base.
“The response has been pretty good,” Kline said.
Havoc also does special orders, and there are several catalogs available for customers to peruse.
Kline said that for the long term, he would like to sell custom hats and shirts, and expand the storefront to include its upstairs area. He also hopes to have his 11-year-old son work at the store a few years from now.
Havoc can be telephoned at 479-4846.
