Whidbey Island Center for the Arts is celebrating its 10th anniversary by presenting some classic island characters — the Rural Characters, that is.

These down-to-earth, eclectic musicians are bringing some special guests along for the WICA anniversary celebration and benefit concert.

The Rural Characters got together nine years ago for a variety show called “The Flipside of Langley.”

Show organizers were looking for a group to perform cowboy songs. The Rural Characters performed the classic cowboy song, “Tumbling Tumbleweed,” at that event — a song they still perform today.

“We were all friends and it just came together for us,” said Randy Hudson, one of four band members. “We love singing with each other, and we were surprised and delighted that other people liked to hear us do it.”

The band has been performing at community events and fundraisers ever since.

The Rural Characters have a long history performing in WICA’s “Locals for Locals” annual benefit concerts.

The bands lyrics and witty banter embrace a lot of island-humor.

Tom Fisher has a favorite line at the WICA benefit concerts.

“First of all, let me get this straight,” he says, “We play at the ‘Locals for Locals’ series but we’re not really locals at all — all of us are from Clinton.”

The band plays a three-part song about missing the ferry. They also wrote an island immigrant song.

In addition to the “Locals for Locals” benefit concerts, The Rural Characters have performed in concerts benefiting tsunami relief, and conducted a mood-lightening performance when people needed it most, after the attacks on 9/11.

“Everyone just laughed the whole show,” Hudson said.

The Rural Characters said the WICA stage is one of their favorites.

“I like how it sounds when we’re playing there,” Hudson said.

“We hear ourselves so well, and we’re fortunate enough to have people in the audience that we know are having fun,” he said. “One of the real joys for us is the crowd we attract, it is so diverse.”

Perhaps the diversity of the crowd is a reflection of the diversity of the Rural Characters music.

“We are a group in search of a genre,” Tom Walker said.

Rural Character music includes everything from poignant ballads to barbershop harmonies, from jug band jams to gospel standards.

“Since we’re not professionals, and we only do it for fun, we are very casual on stage. I think people enjoy that about the concert,” Hudson said.

The light-hearted musicians had a serious situation occur around Christmas when they found out one of their group members had a brain tumor.

Gordy Adams, who was a Record Hometown Hero with wife Kitty Adams, and who is a performer with musical group “The Shifty Sailors,” went into surgery just weeks after hearing the news.

Adam’s fellow band-members waited and worried about him, but are now happy to announce that Adams will be performing with his fellow Rural Characters for the first time since his surgery.

Even though Adams still struggles with his memory, he hasn’t forgotten his musical talents.

“The music is all pretty much there,” Adams said. “It’s been great therapy.”

The Rural Characters are local musicians glad to be raising money that benefits other local musicians.

They invited special guests to join in the fun.

The all-women a cappella group Resonance will be performing.

“They’re wonderful harmonists,” Hudson said.

Twin sisters, Karin Blaine and Siri Bardarson, are performing as well.

“They are both great singers. It’s really quality stuff,” Hudson said.

Other guests include Michael McInerney, “a great guy with a great deep voice,” according to Hudson, and Paul Houser.

“Paul Houser has a one-in-a-million voice as far as I’m concerned,” Hudson said.

Woodwind instrumentalist Devin Ossman, vocalist Amy Walker and violinist Michael Nutt will top it all off contributing their talent to the

performances.

These musicians appreciate having the WICA venue as a place to perform.

“Community-wise, it’s a hub of performing arts,” Hudson said. “It provides great opportunities for lots of local people. The acts they’ve brought in have been a great mix.”