The singer offers an inspiring night of music and advocacy
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Prepare for an exciting night of music as Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp, known for her folk, rock and contemporary Christian music, takes the stage at Jammin Java on April 23 at 7:30 p.m.
“I’ve been playing at Jammin Java for well over two decades,” she said. “It’s always a venue and area on my mind when I prepare a tour. I always look forward to coming back and seeing the people, so it feels really homey.”
With more than two decades of performing live, Knapp has made her mark on the music industry, selling over one million albums from her first three releases, including the Gold-certified “Kansas” (1998), “Lay It Down” (2000), and “The Way I Am” (2001).
Her accolades include taking home four Dove Awards and being nominated for two Grammy Awards.
Following this early success, she took a seven-year break from the industry but returned to music and revealed her relationship with a woman. This courageous announcement stirred controversy among some of her Christian fans, but she is considered a trailblazer for social justice, openly addressing LGBTQ+ identity. Today, as the founder of the non-profit Inside Out Faith, she champions LGBTQ+ rights within faith communities.
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She published a well-received memoir, “Facing the Music,” in 2014 and has released new music since returning to the music scene she loves.
“Early in my career, particularly in the Christian music industry, there was a big encouragement to engender yourself to an audience because of the faith component,” Knapp said. “How I represented Christianity was really the driving point. If I did that successfully, I would be successfully connecting to my audience.”
Years on, she realized she needed to be true to herself, and rather than cater to that idea, she built relationships with the people she played for.
“I realized a song can be a gift to other people, and when you play a song out and it lives in the world, it develops a life of its own,” she said. “Music to me has been a huge gift of connection.”
Last year, Knapp released “Kansas 25,” which brings back the music of her first album in a new way. She explained that it honors the innocence and hope of the young songwriter within her while also reflecting the depth and complexity of who we’ve all become.
“The songs are essentially the same, but when I first went into a studio to record the album, I was so young,” she said. “Now, there is a little more depth and maturity in the way that I deliver them. Sometimes, the tempos are a little more relaxed. Now I find I’m giving the songs energy in other ways because I’m giving them space.”
That album will be a big part of her setlist at Jammin Java, and fans have really been gravitating to her earlier work at her shows.
“It was the 25th anniversary of the recording, so it’s been interesting to see that a lot of people who may have gone away from my music have been coming back,” Knapp said. “I’ve been diving into shows with my older material, so it has some vintage feel to it, revisiting some of the Christian stuff I was known for back in the day.”
She feels that her fans have grown with the music as well over a quarter century, and many of them have meaning that they have carried with them and built their own stories around.
“The shared event of playing that music is an added bonus,” Knapp said.
Continuously evolving, Knapp recently earned a master’s degree in theological studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School, underscoring her commitment to advocacy through music and meaningful discourse.
“I haven’t really had a lot of time for my own creative life and making new music,” she said. “This year, I am not touring as much as I have been the last few years and looking forward to diving in and talking about the community and relationships I have been building out on the road. Hoping to reflect on that into some new music.”
For tickets or more information, visit www.unionstagepresents.com.