Disclaimer: The audio on the Core4Life side is pretty bad for this episode. Someone (Ryan) didn't set up the audio input correctly, so our side of the conversation was recorded on the built-in microphone on our laptop instead of our mixer. Luckily, Matt's side was crystal clear and he's the one you want to hear anyway!
Bourbon: Western Reserve Small Batch
Today we welcome Matt Knabe to the show. Matt is a Licensed Professional Counselor with Emerge Counseling Ministries, a talented musician who has toured and played with some big names in the industry, a husband, and a father.
- Started his music career at 15
Touring regionally
Opening for bands like Kid Rock, Matchbox 20, The Eels, Big Wreck
Always felt like he belonged on the stage with those bands
- Eventually started a band called Ligion which was signed, toured nationally, and appeared on MTV
Played one show in Akron, then opened for Collective Soul
Had to quickly produce a record because radio stations were getting demands for their songs
The idea behind the name and band was unifying people. Bringing them together through music
The time with Ligion actually brought Matt further from God
A tour manager said that their antics were worse than Guns & Roses and Motley Crue back in their day
- Was the touring guitarist for the band Zilch, which was made up of musicians from DCTalk's backing band
Changed their name to Sonic Flood when their first record came out
Blew up after I Want to Know You was released
- Became disillusioned with some of the stuff that was going on behind-the-scenes in the Christian music touring industry
- Went through a dark time where he wouldn't leave his apartment for 2 months
- Out of that, he started going to counseling at Emerge and achieved some breakthroughs
- His counselor asked if he ever considered doing what he does and that turned on a light bulb in Matt's mind
- Started pursuing counseling and eventually came to work at Emerge
- For the first couple of years he saw client after client, but this past year he also started a podcast called ExEm
