While most bands focus on playing live, WhyAskWhy takes a different approach. The local act rarely performs, preferring instead to rehearse for fun. However, occasionally a cause arises that lures the recreational outfit out of the basement and onto a public stage.

WhyAskWhy — playing its first show in four years at a benefit at Gilly’s in Dayton on Saturday, March 2 — features Timothy Walker (guitar, vocals), Mike Haverland (vocals, percussion), Bob Nordstrom (guitars, vocals), Kevin Klose (keyboards, vocals), Jeff Silverstein (saxophone, harmonica, vocals), Sean O’Brien (bass) and Dana Clouser (drums).

The fundraiser is for Walker’s brother Larry’s brain cancer charity Mission4Maureen, which provides financial assistance to qualified families struggling with bills accumulated during the fight against cancer. Walker recently discussed WhyAskWhy’s return to the stage.

Q: What can you tell me about Mission4Maureen?

A: “There are a lot of charities for cancer research but not many like Mission4Maureen, which helps people pay their bills. My brother developed it to help qualified families who have members with brain cancer with their utilities, rent, mortgage, food or whatever. It got voted one of the top Web-based charities of 2012.”

Q: I know WhyAskWhy played a rare live show at Jazz Central in February 2009. How did that go?

A: “It was about 3 degrees that night. There was snow on the ground, but we packed the place. There was a line to get in, and some people didn’t want to brave the elements, so they unfortunately got turned away or left of their own volition. It was standing room only, and it was a fun gig.”

Q: How did that impact the band members’ decision on future live shows?

A: “There were members who said, ‘Let’s do this once every two months or something.’ Other members said, ‘I don’t care to play live again.’ It just kind of laid there for a while and then the other ones who weren’t interested came around and said, ‘OK, we’ll do this benefit and see what happens.’ ”

Q: What did you guys have to tweak for this next live show?

A: “The sets worked well. We do classic rock and some newer stuff like Wilco and The Black Keys. We’re still doing maybe six songs from the Jazz Central set, but for this gig we wanted to do more uptempo stuff.”