The Distance

Ohio's  Premier Classic Rock  Trio 

Take  three highly skilled  musicians  with decades of experience, add  amazing vocals, a  huge playlist with wide variety, the very best quality sound and lights, professional attitude,  attention to detail and you will be "Going  The Distance"!

The Distance is available for clubs, dances, corporate events, private parties, concerts and festivals.

booking info: 937-205-4314  
email  stoneridgestables@frontier.com 

follow us at -facebook.com/thedistancebandrocks

videos at  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcTQ2APRHRntDBST17su8cQ/


Steve, Greg  & Mark are equally at home in small 100 seat clubs or large outdoor stages for 10,000. They put the same energy into every show whether there are 50 or 5,000 in the audience. They just keep "Going The Distance" to bring you the best in entertainment!


Facebook 

Testimonials

The Distance has  performed  over 350 shows since the band was formed in 2014 from nightclubs , large venues, city festivals and corporate events.

90% of our corporate events and festivals are return annual events . 

"The Distance is always a crowd pleaser at every venue I have booked them in. What sets them apart from other bands of their caliber is the non stop show with no "dead air" or  down time between songs!

"The Distance is a must see!"

J.S. Sherer

Merchandise

We have ball caps, men's T- shirts and ladies racerback T's for sale. Distance CD's are also available for those of you who still have CD players.

Gifts and souvenirs 

BIOS


Steve Butts- lead vocals and bassist.
Steve began  his musical journey singing in church  at age 5 and  by  8 , after his family had moved to Springfield, Ohio, had begun studying to be a concert bassoonist, practicing 2 hours each  day and taking 2 lessons per week. By age 10 Steve was playing 8 different instruments . His father was a professional musician and his mother was a singer who  along with performing live both ending up teaching  music at Wittenberg University until  their retirements. His father was also a well known conductor and played  saxophone with a "whos who" of national artists from 1955 to 1995 including Louie Prima, The Temptations , Rod Stewart and the Moody Blues.. At 12  Steve began playing guitar & bass in rock n' roll  bands and within a few years was the lead singer and bassist in several  working regional bands. By the age of 18 Steve was playing bassoon in national honors bands/ local professional symphony orchestras and was touring with rock bands as a singer and bassist. By 22 he had worked with or opened for many national acts like Leon Russell, BTO, Golden Earring, Lee Michaels, Tina Turner, Montrose and Johnny Winter.  He did a stint in the  supper club business " crooning"  6 nights a week   in a black tuxedo  and teaching music  at  the college level during the day. During that time Steve also appeared with Dionne Warwick, David Brenner, Freda Payne, Barbi Benton etc.  After 5 years of the "supper clubs"  he felt  rock n' roll "calling him back on the road" . He answered  the call and has never looked back. Steve  now has over 6,500 career live shows behind him in night clubs, sheds and arenas. He has extensive radio, TV and recording experience with over 52 recording credits. Steve is a veteran of several very popular regional bands ,"The Dinosaurs", "Airborn" ," Cornerstone", "Fallen Angels" and " Time Machine". Note;  while in the "The Dinosaurs" , Steve  played with artists like " Dave Mason", "The Vogues",  "The Crystals" and "Leon Russell". Since starting "The Distance" in 2014 he has also performed in the "Double Eagles Tribute Band ", "Three Aces" and  with "Tommy Tutone" ( Jenny Jenny -  867-5309) . 

Greg Bell- lead vocals and guitarist.
Hailing from Muncie, Indiana, Greg began taking piano lessons at age 6 and quickly became frustrated by the old-fashioned structured lessons as well as the slow progress of learning to read sheet music, so he came up with a plan. He promised his parents that if they bought him a guitar and stopped piano lessons, he would still learn to read music. The deception worked and he received his 1st guitar that Christmas. As he progressed rapidly on guitar, reading sheet music became a small speck in the rear-view mirror. His 1st rock band was made up of fellow 6th grade friends and their 1st public show was an elementary school festival where they proudly "smoked the 7th grade band". He continued to "smoke" other guitar players and by age 17 was playing 5 nights a week in the local Muncie bar scene with a band called "Ultimatum". From there it was on to Ball State University and performing in college bars and bigger shows in Indianapolis. From 77 to 79 he was a member of "Telegraph", a five-state regional touring band based in Indy. During the 80's Greg was in various blues bands like "Richard 'White Boy' Jennings and the Dynatones", "Spunk", and the "Blues Torpedoes". After moving to Dayton Greg continued to play in various bands such as the "Usual Suspects" and helped found "Blind Karma" in 2008. With his extra attention to tone and detail, Greg is known as "a guitar player's guitar player". While he continues to play with "Blind Karma", he joined Steve and Mark (from "Time Machine") to form "The Distance" in 2014 and continues to "smoke" our audiences in performance after performance.

Mark McFarlan- drums. 
Mark's earliest musical memory was  as a 6 year old kid growing up in Beavercreek , Ohio where he began playing his cousin's drum set. He was soon playing along with 70's funk  music tapes and by age 9 his parents decided "he was serious enough" to start taking  private  drum lessons. He was active in school band from start to finish at Beavercreek and began playing in a church gospel group in middle  school. This gospel group , beside the normal church performances, also appeared at La Comedia  and opened in front of a crowd of 10,000 for Andrae' Crouch, the father of modern gospel. After high school Mark began playing in various local soul, country and rock  bands in clubs all over central Ohio. He spent a year touring the world with the USO playing  drums at military bases in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore and the  Aleutian Islands. While back in Dayton Mark has played with several original project bands  such as , "The Henchmen", "Real Lulu" and " Clemmer" performing live as well as recording. He has opened for national artists like "7 Mary 3" and is a past member of assorted local groups, "Edge", "Cotton", "8 Up", 'Flashback" and "Time Machine". While drumming with "The Distance  Mark also  currently appears with  Steve in "Three Aces". Mark , Steve and Greg are the  3 original founding members of "The Distance" and continue to please crowds where ever they go. 

Steve Butts- lead vocals & bass

Mark McFarlan- drums

 Greg Bell- lead vocals & guitar

 Mark McFarlan

 "Wolfgang Von Howler"- mascot

 Steve Butts

 

 The Distance

 Greg Bell

The Distance

The Distance

Steve Butts

Greg Bell

Steve Butts

The Distance

The Distance

Steve Butts

Mark McFarlan

Steve "Buttszilla" Butts

The Distance

Greg Bell

Mark McFarlan

Greg & Steve

Steve Butts

Ladies T-Backs & Men's T shirts

Ball   Caps 

Item title

The Distance has a very long and diverse playlist that can be customized for your venue.

Rosanna- Toto
Real World- Matchbox 20
You Should Be Dancing- Bee Gees
I Just Want To Make Love To You- Foghat
Are You Gonna Gonna Go My Way- Lenny Kravitz
Fooled Around and Fell In Love- Elvin Bishop
Lowdown- Boz Scaggs
Fame- David Bowie
The Boys Are Back In Town- Thin Lizzy
After Midnight- Eric Clapton
How Far is Heaven- Los Lonely Boys
Don't  Dream Its Over- Crowded House
Lets Go Crazy- Prince
Brick House- Commodores
The One I Love- REM
Take It Easy- Eagles
Dixie Chicken-  Little Feat
Doctor My Eyes- Jackson Brown
Still The One- Orleans
Hey There Lonely Girl- Eddie Holman
Talking In Your Sleep- Romantics
A Girl Like You- Smithereens
Gimme Shelter- The Rollin Stones
If You Wanna Get To Heaven- Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Saturday Nights All Right For Fighting - Elton John
Pride & Joy- Stevie Ray Vaughn
Love Stinks- J. Geils Band
Get Ready- Rare Earth
Crazy Little Thing- Queen
Sultans of Swing- Dire Straits
Cruisin'- Smokey Robinson
I Wont Back Down- Tom Petty
Everybody Wants To Rule The World- Tears For Fears
 Bad Case of Loving You- Robert Palmer
Purple Rain- Prince
Fast As You- Dwight Yoakum
Feel Like Making Love- Bad Co.
Waiting on The Bus/ Jesus Just Left Chicago-ZZ Top
James Dean- Eagles
Sweet Emotion- Aerosmith
Let It Whip- Dazz Band
You Might Think I'm Crazy-Cars
Cover of The Rolling Stone- Dr. Hook
Beer Drinkers & Hellraisers-ZZ Top
Funky Music/ Tear The Roof Off- Wild Cherry- P- Funk
Can't Get Next To You- Temptations
Knockin On Heaven's Door- Bob Dylan
You Really Got Me- Van Halen
Just Got Paid- ZZ Top
Faith- George Michael
Rio- Duran Duran
Melt With You - Modern English
Sharp Dressed Man/ Gimme All Your Lovin'- ZZ Top
Brown Eyed Girl- Van Morrison
White Wedding- Billy Idol
Hold On I'm Coming- Sam & Dave
Take Me To The River- Talking Heads
Rock And Roll All Night- Kiss
Fat Bottom Girls- Queen
Hot Rod Lincoln- Commander Cody
Time- Pink Floyd
Jumping Jack Flash- Johnny Winter
Reflections of My Life- Marmalade
Third Rate Romance- Amazing Rhythm Aces
Long Train Running- Doobie Brothers
Nationwide-ZZ Top
Polk Salad Annie - Tony Joe White
Cinnamon Girl- Neil Young
Wonderful Tonight- Eric Clapton
I Want You To Want Me- Cheap Trick
Tainted Love- Soft Cell/ Scorpions
Hootchie Kootchie Man- Muddy Waters
American Girl- Tom Petty
Sweet Home Alabama-Lynyrd Skynyrd
Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots
Chevy Van- Sammy Johns
Never Been To Spain- Three Dog Night
Good Lovin- Young Rascals
C'mon- Stevie Ray Vaughn/Jimi Hendrix
Pretty Woman- Roy Orbison 
Rock This Town- Stray Cats
Drift Away- Dobie Gray
Stuck In The Middle- Stealers Wheel
Shining Star- Earth, Wind & Fire
Some Kind of Wonderful/ Spirit In The Sky- Grand Funk/ N. Greenbaum
Ride Captain Ride- Blues Image
What I Got- Sublime
Get Back- Beatles
Living In Wartime- Talking Heads
Baby Blue-  Badfinger
Reeling In The Years- Steely Dan
Give Me Three Steps- Lynyrd Skynrd
Break Up Song- Greg Kihn Band
Come Together- Beatles
Sylvia's Mother- Dr. Hook
Magic Carpet Ride- Steppenwolf
No Matter What- Badfinger
Walk Away Renee- Left Banke
Smoke On The Water- Deep Purple
 Green River/ Suzie Q- Creedence Clearwater Revival
Mary Jane's Last Dance- Tom Petty
Mustang Sally- Wilson Picket
Man Of  Constant Sorrow- Dwight Yoakum
Radar Love- Golden Earring
Jenny Jenny  (867-5309)- Tommy Tutone
Too Rolling Stoned- Robin Trower
Tulsa Time- Eric Clapton
Give A Little Bit- Goo Goo Dolls
Love Me Two Times- Doors
You May Be Right- Billy Joel
Fire- Jimi Hendrix
Stormy Monday- Allman Bros
Honky Tonk Woman- Rolling Stones
La Grange- ZZ Top
Baby I Love Your Way- Peter Frampton
3AM-Matchbox 20
The Joker- Steve Miller Band
We Just Disagree- Dave Mason
Don't Do Me Like That- Tom Petty
Good- Better Than Ezra
Crossroads- Cream
Learning To Fly-  Foo Fighters
I Love Robbing Banks-
Spooky- Atlanta Rhythm Section
Ain't No Sunshine-Bill Withers
Ohio/ Cost Of Freedom- CSN & Y
I Fought The Law- Bobby Fuller Four
Sunshine of Your Love- Cream
Rocky Mountain Way- Joe Walsh 
Vaseline-Stone Temple Pilots

 

 

Subscribe

Sign up to our newsletter and stay up to date

Subscribed!

Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.