KEYSTONE STATION

Keystone Station is a traditional bluegrass band from Marin County, CA, whose members are all veterans on the Bay Area music scene. Formed in the early winter of 2001, they made their grand debut at the original Sweetwater in Mill Valley in June of that first year. The band played at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival three times (2001, 2002, 2006), Vern's Stage at the CBA Father's Day Bluegrass Festival in Grass Valley three times, the SF Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival twice, the Great American Musical Hall in San Francisco, the CBA Veterans Day Festival in Woodland, the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival in Hollister, the Sweetwater countless times, and they were regulars at Murphy's Irish Pub in the town of Sonoma for ten years.

Keystone Station was built upon the duo Keystone Crossing – Larry Carlin and Claudia Hampe. These two have been performing together since 1996, singing the songs of the brother duos from the early days of country and bluegrass music. In the winter of 2001, they started jamming informally with some local bluegrass pickers, and they decided to expand the duo to a five-piece bluegrass band. Larry plays standup bass and Claudia plays rhythm guitar while original Station member Kenny Blacklock bows the fiddle, the longtime mandolinist is Dave Earl, and the banjo slot is filled with a selection of the area’s finest five-stringers.

The repertoire of Keystone Station is based on the songs of such notables as the late "Father of Bluegrass," Mr. Bill Monroe, as well as the Stanley Brothers, and Flatt & Scruggs. With haunting three-part harmonies, and hot instrumental picking on acoustic instruments, Keystone Station is steeped in the bluegrass tradition.

Below are photos of the band from over the decades.

2001

Top Row: Kenny Blacklock, Dana Rath, Larry Carlin

Bottom Row: Claudia Hampe, Francis Mougne

2004

Kenny Blacklock, Claudia Hampe, Larry Carlin, Jonathan Schiele, Dave Earl

2006

Top Row: Kenny Blacklock and Larry Carlin

Bottom Row: Gary Kaye, Claudia Hampe, Dave Earl

2007

Chris Caputo, Kenny Blacklock, Claudia Hampe, Dave Earl, Larry Carlin

2010

Dave Earl, Kris Hare, Larry Carlin, Claudia Hampe, Kenny Blacklock

2013

Dave Magram, Claudia Hampe, Larry Carlin, Dave Earl, Kenny Blacklock