Leaving a Mark: Man the Machine
A live show from one of Wichita Falls' best rock bands
The expression man the machine can have many connotations, depending on the context. In military jargon, it could be a command to operate a certain piece of equipment — “Quick, man the machine!” In science fiction, it could be a reference to the melding of human and cybernetic components, and in a broader metaphorical sense, it might refer to the effort to master and control technology, reflecting on the impact of machines on human life and society.
In the context of Texoma rock bands, Man the Machine is a reference to an excellent four-piece hard rock group comprised of David Norman on drums, guitarist Jon Richerson, Elvis Propest on bass, and vocalist Nolan Cannedy. As for the name itself, I ducked into Cannedy’s DMs to see if he could shed light on the moniker.
“I wish the name had some specifically cool concept behind it, but it was a last minute punt if I’m honest,” Cannedy said. “We started to make a list of names we thought were cool. The list was about 80 long. After some googling, and finding 75% of the list was already a band, it was narrowed to about 10. Man the Machine stood out. It was originally picked by Elvis, and is the name of a song from the latest Queensryche album. It was one of the first names on the list. We love it now and it fits, but it took a while to stick. “
Man the Machine has its roots in two earlier rock bands that stalked the Wichita Falls area — Miyagi and Big Life Crisis, bands which included other well-known local musicians John McGowan, Dustin Fike, and Michael Clark. Man the Machine emerged from the ashes of Big Life Crisis in 2022 and has since been leaving a mark on the rock scene in Wichita Falls with a thoughtfully selected collection of hard rock, alternative and metal cover tunes driven by the guitar wizardry of Richerson, the tight rhythm section of Norman and Propest, and Cannedy’s artful vocals.
Man the Machine performs cover tunes with such skill, we asked whether they had considered playing and recording original music.
“All of us have done originals in other bands, but MM is primarily a cover band. I do feel like that will change pretty soon,” Cannedy said. “We only get together once a week, so playing covers is an easy way to get your set filled out. We have about 30 now, and Elvis has been throwing out cool ideas we can work off of for originals, so I do think originals are in our future.”
Man the Machine’s stage show is energetic and unapologetic. Everyone in the band is comfortable with leaving everything on the stage, and the show incorporates light and smoke as well, so be ready for a full production when you see Man the Machine.
Have you seen Man the Machine? Tell us about it in the comments.
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Great article bro! Thanks
For all you do!