Sunday, March 07, 2010

Jennifer Knapp is Back



Have you ever been to a concert that was inspiring, thought-provoking, personal, and down-right beautiful? My wife, Sarah, texted me a couple of weeks ago about Jennifer Knapp coming to, of all places, Manheim, Pennsylvania. Most people are probably familiar with Manheim as they are familiar with Mukwonago, Wisconsin. When I found that Derek Webb was touring with Jennifer, I was ecstatic. Sarah is a big fan of Jennifer Knapp and I am a fan of Derek. The combination of these two artists foreshadowed an eventful and riveting evening.

Last night, Sarah and I went to the Jennifer Knapp concert at Warehouse 54 in Manheim. Warehouse 54 is a small place and seated no more than 200 people for the concert—every seat was the best seat in the house. The small setting allowed for a very intimate, coffeehouse-type ambiance. One could not ask for a better setting to listen to some of the most talented and brilliant artists, up close and personal. Jennifer Knapp was popular in the late 90s to early 2000s before she left the music scene for nearly a decade, with no news about her whereabouts or reasons for leaving. It was as if she literally fell off the face of the earth, though I think she would say she didn't fall but jumped. Read Jennifer's bio >

Jennifer's music comes across as a regurgitation of her personal diary. Maybe her music is her personal diary. It carries her frustrations, disappointments, anger, joys, hopes, and dreams. Every musical piece emanates her most real and raw emotions. Jennifer is frank and down-to-earth. Her music connects with listeners at a personal level. When she sings, she sings directly to you. She does not ask for sympathy. She just asks to be heard. Jennifer Knapp's return will once again bring a much-needed breath of fresh air to the music industry. Jennifer's new album, Letting Go, will be released on May 11th.

As I mentioned earlier, Derek Webb is touring with Jennifer. He is one of my favorite artists and I have utmost respect for the man. He is not only a talented musician but is also a decent and admirable human being. His music possesses a kind of lyrical depth that cuts through the heart with beautiful and disturbing but challenging truths. Derek is not only passionate about music but is also passionate about the subjects in his songs: social justice, end to war and poverty, call for the church to love homosexuals, disdain for often-hateful right-wing politics, and more. Derek is smart, sarcastic, and loves God and people above anything else.

The night was opened by a local band, The Historic. They are a very talented group and certainly worth listening to. I also want to give a plugin to Amy Courts, who has a beautiful and powerful voice, and is touring and singing with Jennifer Knapp. I could not have asked for a better line-up of artists, all in one evening. Each band or artist here is worth our listening ears. Check them all out.

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