Whirlwind, a local country-rock band, will celebrate its 18th anniversary with performances Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3-4, at The Sunset Tavern in Ballard, from 9:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m. The shows will feature several of the many musicians who have played in Whirlwind over the years.

The band was formed in 1981 by drummer/vocalist Woody Anderson, a Lake City resident. Anderson explains, "The band was inspired by such great bands as Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doobie Brothers, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band and The Eagles."

Vocalist/rhythm guitarist Sterling Carter was the band's first front man, singing everything from Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings tunes to songs by The Eagles and The Beatles. He was later succeeded by Bill Cone, Don Copeland, Steve Nowak, Preston Kellogg, John Candelario, Hal Padgett, Kent Crawford, and Steve Valley.

Other founding band members included: lead guitarist Craig Loeper, and original bassist Lance McCann.

Loeper was succeeded by David Korst, Jerry Bishop, Randy Miller, Gordy Lockard and Mark Calvert.

McCann was later succeeded by Steve Berman, Greg Amunrud, Chris Jenson, Gordy Lockard and Norm Bryant.

The band has also had a succession of keyboard players (Tom Johnson, Mike Kesterson, Bob Baker, Steve Berman, Michael Berman, Gordy Lockard and Larry Derringer) and percussionists/conga/bongo players (Doug Wagner, Nick Bauer and Woody Anderson); and saxophone players (David Korst, Doug Wagner and Dick Lembo).

Anderson has been the anchor member of Whirlwind throughout the years, although the band has had its share of guest drummers, too, including John Frank, Michael Berman and Greg Stone.

Anderson recalls that the band played its first few gigs at biker bars, such as The Glendale Tavern in White Center (now a thrift store), The Pastime Tavern in Sultan and Engels Pub in Edmonds.

"The band was named after Eastern Washington tumbleweeds to emulate a country-rock image," he adds. Anderson also designed the band's logo, while substitute teaching in Lynnwood.

Whirlwind, in addition to performing on stages throughout Washington state, sponsored a division-winning co-recreational softball team in the '80s. There is also a Whirlwind country dance group, Anderson notes.

"The Whirlwind Band has survived and overcome IRS audits, driver license suspensions, bankruptcies, numerous band women breakups and divorces, extended periods of unemployment, under-employment, shakeups, shakedowns, alcohol/drug abuse, vandalism, theft, car accidents, sickness, injuries and even death," says Anderson. "The Whirlwind Band has survived it all. Each individual band member has paid their dues, several times over."

The band has also had its share of successes over the years as well. It opened for Wild Child (a popular Los Angeles-based The Doors tribute band) and country legend Johnny Paycheck. The band also shot a video for "Northwest Jamboree" in 1988 as well as a video a few years ago for "Northwest Music Scene," a public-access cable TV show hosted by Anderson, which airs from 9-10 p.m. every Sunday on Channel 29/77. Whirlwind has even performed at the Space Needle and the Evergreen Fair, and once performed for President Gerald Ford's son while playing a gig at a Pioneer Square club.

"Whirlwind is probably the only band in Seattle that has been around since 1981 and still has no album of their own music, even though several band members frequently write original music," says Anderson. "The band is, however, releasing their first original video during this celebration."

Where will the future take Whirlwind? "Who knows," says Anderson. "All I know is the band has survived more lives than a cat!"

For more information about Whirlwind, contact Anderson at 781-3976.