KEYSTONE STATION

Keystone Station was a traditional bluegrass band from Marin County, CA, whose members were all veterans on the Bay Area music scene. Formed in the winter of 2001 and playing their final show in August of 2013, they made their grand debut at the original Sweetwater in Mill Valley in June of that first year. The band played the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival three times, Vern's Stage at the CBA Father's Day Bluegrass Festival in Grass Valley twice, 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, Sweetwater countless times, and they were regulars at Murphy's Irish Pub in the town of Sonoma.

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 band. Larry played standup bass and Claudia was on rhythm guitar while other original Station members included Kenny Blacklock on fiddle, Dana Rath on mandolin, and Francis Mougne on banjo.

The repertoire of Keystone Station was 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 was steeped in the bluegrass tradition.

Other band members

Mandolin player Dana Rath left the band in 2003, and he was replaced by Dave Earl, who played with Keystone until the end.

Banjo players – like the exploding drummers in the mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap – came and went frequently. Founding member Francis Mougne left in 2003 and moved back to Texas. Jonathan Schiele was next, and he lasted until 2005, before leaving to concentrate of playing jazz guitar. Gary Kaye and Chris Caputo each played for a brief while before Kris Hare joined in 2009. She lived far away and got tired of the long commute, so the final banjoist was Dave Magram, who played the last year.

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