Kelly Champlin and Adam Gardino

Luke Tripp

Guardrail encompasses the smooth and pure sound of acoustic roots music with the lonesome sound of the Colorado peaks.  Kelly Chanplin, Adam Gardino, and Luke Tripp all picked up their instruments early in life and have been performing and teaching music for over a decade in the Pikes Peak region.  This award-winning group was featured on High Plains Public Radio, who likened their sound and virtuosity to Nickel Creek.

Kelly Champlin picked up violin at age 7 and started songwriting at 14.  She has performed all over Colorado with such bands as Interstate Cowboy, Old Barn Road, The Hillworms, Glentucky Funkdown, Dragonfly, the University of Northern Colorado Symphony Orchestra and Redraw the Farm.  Her songs decipher the complicated emotions within the world around us.  Love, heartbreak and soul were brilliantly captured on her 2010 debut album “Never Walk Away,” which she recorded in Nashville. In 2019, her collaborative song “1922” placed second in the “Feeling Blue” category at the Walnut Valley Festival Song Contest. 

Luke Tripp picked up the violin originally to play with his dad’s country band.  As a missionary kid, he grew up in Brazil and was heavily influenced by Latin music, all while studying classical technique and playing western fiddle.  He performed with singers and bands in South America, including a band for a traveling circus.  Since moving to Colorado Springs in 2005, he has shared the stage with Byron Berline and Charlie Daniels, and has been a part of several award-winning albums. Starting in 2012 Luke fiddled with the Flying W Wranglers for six years, touring all over the western United States performing for the Western Music Association, the Academy of Western Artists, and the Annual Chuckwagons of the West Jamboree. 

Adam Gardino has been dazzling audiences since 2005.  At 16, he placed in the top five of the International Finger Style Guitar Competition held in Winfield, Kansas.  Continuing to hone his skills, in 2010 he placed 3rd behind the infamous Pete Huttlinger; and eventually he worked his way to winning twice – in 2012, and again in 2019 after the mandatory five-year hiatus. He has a music performance degree from graduated from University of Colorado Denver.  Adam joined the Flying W Wranglers in 2014 and got the opportunity learn about stagecraft firsthand from one of the greatest country and western bands around.  

All three have been involved in the Black Rose Acoustic Society, as teachers, in a leadership role, or as performers.  And it was through Black Rose that they were first connected.  Kelly and Adam met through lessons from Black Rose co-founders and bandmates Charlie Hall and Hope Grietzer.  Luke acted as head of the music school for several years, hiring Adam to teach fingerstyle guitar.  And after Hope moved away, Kelly continued lessons with Luke Tripp on mandolin.  All have performed on the Rose’s stage multiple times through the years, but this will be the first time when all three will share the Black Rose stage together.

Doors open at 6:15 p.m.; concert starts at 7 p.m.

Opening acts are harpist Margot Krimmel; and singer-songwriters Abby Brown & Trevor Krehel.

$15 general admission, $8 members and students w/ ID; free for ages 12 and younger. (Become a member and save!)

Baked goods, coffee, tea, and water available for purchase in the Community Center.