“Who was the fucking lunatic who put a case of beer onstage halfway through the set? I ain’t paying for that.”

“That was Aaron, he owns the bar. Don’t worry about it.”

That was my introduction to Aaron Roeder, the 3B Tavern, and music in Bellingham.

For sixteen years, Aaron’s bar has been the heart and soul of Bellingham’s eclectic, close-knit music community. If you saw or played a memorable show in Bellingham, chances are you did so at the 3B. Unfortunately, as of January 1, the 3B Tavern will no longer exist.

The who, what, and why of the story is simple enough. The bar’s lease expires, Aaron couldn’t find a new space, two and two still add up to four. The impact on Bellingham’s music community is immeasurable, to say nothing of the town’s rampant alcoholism. I, for one, am terrified.