Country rock and “boogie grass” band from Harford County started in 1974 by Jerry Sheets (guitar), and Al Barnes (guitar), soon adding David Gooch (bass). Sheets played a Sho-Bro which was a cross between a dobro and acoustic), while Barnes played a 12-string acoustic. Barnes had spent several years performing at clubs in Nashville before returning to Maryland and running into Sheets. The acoustic trio became known as Dakota and performed at parties, coffee houses, The Bounty, UMBC Rathskeller, The Other Barn (Columbia), High Class Inn, and other venues including the “Infamous Carroll County Horse Farm Bust.”
A CD of the trio’s 1976 recordings was released in 2006.
Around 1975 rock drummer Joe Vogt joined the group adding a new dimension to their sound which was by then evolving from acoustic to electric country rock. Gooch left in mid-’76 and was replaced with Neil Freizner. Around the same time, they added Denny Bowen (a pedal steel player from Oklahoma). Dakota performed covers of artists such as Gram Parsons, Flying Burrito Brothers, Dylan, Waylon & Willie…
Next to join was Larry Conner (banjo ex-Mountain Phoenix). A career bluegrass player, Conner had never played with “a band where everyone was plugged in,” but “it wound up clicking very well.” Soon afterward Bowen had to leave due to some health problems, and Smitty Roland filled in as needed until the group found a replacement in Fred Tepper (ex-Climbadonkey) to play pedal steel and electric guitar. Tepper brought some of his original compositions to the group but was only around briefly, later going on to join Trigger Happy… He was replaced with keyboard player Ed Pachilis. This lineup of Sheets (guitar), Barnes (guitar), Freizner (bass), Vogt (drums), Conner (banjo), and Pachilis (keys) first performed live on New Years Eve 1976. They went on to play regularly through early 1980 at local venues such as Manor Tavern, Dulaney Inn, Charlie’s West Side, Back of the Rack (O.C.), Peddler’s Pub, No Fish Today, Hopkins Spring Fair, Preakness Week (Inner Harbor), Pikesville Hilton, Mack & Myers, Kelly’s Tavern, Our Place, Oregon Ridge, Famous Ballroom, and as a regular Thursday night attraction at Andre’s in Perry Hall. Dakota shared the stage with many artists including Peter Rowan (of New Riders of the Purple Sage) at the Four Corners Inn, and opened for Pure Prairie League at Johns Hopkins Shriver Hall. They also did shows with the Seldom Scene, Country Gentlemen, J.D. Crowe & the New South, Tom Principato, Danny Gatton, Paradise Pickers…
Dakota was also hired by Carlton Haney to perform at the Granite Hill / Gettysburg traditional bluegrass festival. They were well received even though they were a “plugged in” band with a piano and a full set of drums.
In 1980 Vogt, Freizner, and Pachilis left and formed the group Bittercreek.
Dakota re-formed in 1981 with Conner (banjo, guitar), Sheets (lead guitar, harp), and Barnes (guitar), with Jeep Watson (pedal steel ex-River), Gary Andrews (bass), and Greg Plapis (drums). By the early ‘80s they were back doing their ‘Urban Cowboy” crossover country sounds at venues such as Maxwell’s, Old Philadelphia Inn, Blue Gables, Cub Hill Inn… This group eventually split in 1986. Later in 1986 they re-formed once again with the same lineup except for Wade Eckert on drums (ex-Whiskey Hollow Band). Pachilis also sat in with the group for a while before going on to other ventures.
From the mid-‘80s through their final gig in 1995 the sound was handled by Steve Goodwin, who also arranged bookings and set up equipment.
Dakota made several trips to the studio. A 1992 session at Vector Studios in Pikesville was engineered by Paul Margolis and released as the CD “The New American Gothic.”
Goodwin later played bass guitar with rock band Rocket Science. Pachilis with variety band The Front in ‘00s. Eckert with Southpaw…
1992(CD) The New American Gothic
2006(CD) “music from the little house
