FAYETTEVILLE -- A staple of the city's music scene will soon shut its doors for good.
JR's Lightbulb Club opened in 1989 under owner Jimmy Rapert. Now at 19 N. Block St., the venue will close amid a changing music industry.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, bands such as Modest Mouse and the Postal Service brought packed crowds underground before the venue moved all of its operations upstairs. The White Stripes played there the night of Sept. 11, 2001.
Current owner Benton Bandy said the mainstay has run its course.
"We've been paying the bills and making it work, but I turn 50 this year," he said. "I kind of realized that I'm working my bottom off to pay taxes and bills."
The way touring bands choose where to play, the rise of house shows and overall changes to the economy contributed to Bandy's decision to close the bar, he said.
"Live music is a tough sell these days. It's crazy how people don't want to pay a $5 cover to see a band," Bandy said.
Bandy co-owned JR's with Wade Ogle for a number of years. The two split ownership when Block Street Records opened next door in 2014.
The venue will host farewell shows in the coming weeks. Bands interested can email lightbulbclubbooking@gmail.com, and announcements will be posted on the Lightbulb Club's Facebook page.
Bandy said he hopes the legacy of JR's will endure long after its final show.
"I think that's the biggest thing to take from it. Most everyone has some memory, whether they got kicked out or whether they met their wife there or their husband there," he said. "It's actually been a part of peoples' lives."
NW News on 12/15/2016