The Official Jars of Clay Email News
CONTENTS:
*Introduction
*Revised summer tour schedule
*Fade to Grey lyrics
*Concert Review: Cornerstone
*Jars magazine articles/ad listing
*Christian Retailing article transcribed
*Press Kit Biography transcribed
*Jars on Much Music TV!
*Comments & Questions
*Love Song for a Savior: New Single
*Charting the Singles
*Summer concert setlist
*Concert Review: Shawnee, OK
*Syndicate article
Introduction:
We've had great success so far with the newsletter! :) Thanks to all for their help, encouragement, comments, suggestions, and most of all for subscribing! Remember that any questions you have for the guys will be answered, so feel free to ask away... The 3rd issue of Earthen Vessels will hopefully bring you messages from the guys themselves. They have been keeping very busy with spot dates around the country this summer! Their ministry is going great! Read on and enjoy~
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* Revised Summer Tour Schedule:
Subj: Latest summer schedule
Date: 95-07-09 18:11:48 EDT
From: Pdljmpr7
Here is a list of our latest summer dates through Sept. 16, after which we join up with PFR again. There have been quite a few changes since the last posting. Here goes:
July:
14- Tampa, FL, Crossover Comm. Church (7:30)
15- Tampa, FL, Crossover Comm. Church (7:30) Second show
17- San Marcos, TX, San Marcos Baptist Academy (8:45-9:45, 10:15)
22- Springfield, IL (7:30)
26- Lewisburg, WV, Rhema Christian Center (7:00)
27- Myrtle Beach Christian Retreat Center, SC (7:30-8:30/ 9:00)
29- Tuscumbia, AL, Spring Park (8:00)
August:
3- Wheaton, IL
5- Romeo, MI, Simpson Park Camp (7-8/ 8:30)
9- Ocean Isle, NC, Ocean Isle Beach (7:30) with IAN
11- Franklin, TN, Cafe Milano (7:30/ 9:30) Acoustic
12- Chattanooga, TN, Metro Cafe (9:30)
15- Lubbock, TX
16- Clinton, MS, Morrison Heights Baptist Church
17 Tulsa, OK
18- Bolivar, MO, Southwest Baptist Univ. (7:30)
24- Evansville, IN, Univ. of Southern Indiana (9-10/ 10:30)
25- Evansville, IN, The Coffee House (8-9/ 9:30) Acoustic
26- St. Louis, MO, Missouri Baptist (7-8/ 8:30)
27- Henderson, KY
31- Somerset, KY Skate City (8:00)
September:
1- Detroit, MI
2- Steubenville, OH, Fransiscan Univ. (7:30)
8- Marion, IN, Indiana Wesleyan Univ. (7-8/ 8:30)
9- Bloomington, IN, Bloomington Speedway (4:00) w/ Geoff Moore
14- Wilkersville, MD, Calvary Assembly (7:30)
15- Clarks Summit, PA, Abington Height Aud. (8:30)
16 Rochester, NY
Sept. 22 through Dec. 10 with PFR. [see E.V. #1]
Thanks all!
Charlie.
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* Fade to Grey lyrics:
Here are the lyrics for the song Fade to Grey on the demo disc by Jars, entitled "Frail". It was an independent release and is now out of print, but the guys have been performing this one live lately, so thought I'd include the lyrics! :)
"Oh it's not hard to know what you're thinking
as you look down on me now
Your trance of love is seeking
to turn this world around
But in this state of blind confusion
No god can pull me out
Then I see Your love is willing
to turn me inside out
Then I see you there with your arms open wide and you're trying to embrace me
These lonely tears I cry they keep me in chains and I wish they'd release me
Cold is the night but colder still is the heart made of stone turned from clay
And if you follow me you'd see all the black, all the white fade to grey
Spinning twisted ignorant bliss
falling farther out of grace
crawling closer to the dust
won't you save me from myself
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* Concert Review: Cornerstone
Subj: Cornerstone JoC review
Date: 95-07-05 00:31:48 EDT
From: qwerty@grfn.ORG
I began anticipating Cornerstone more than ever when I found out that Jars of Clay would be performing on a newly added stage dubbed the "7-ball". After seeing Jars of Clay perform with PFR in March, it was only natural.
The Jars were scheduled to perform on the first day of the festival, right after the band "Third Day". A few hours before their performance, I found the Jars in the large merchandise tent, selling their CDs and other items. After introducing myself as one of those "friends of Charlie's brother on the Internet", I learned they would be doing a slightly stripped down performance that afternoon due to the constraints of performing in such a small tent. Apparently that meant they left most of the prerecorded stuff in the trailer, because I didn't notice it during the show. I may be wrong, but that seems to imply they were forced to play without the bass parts...Luckily, it wasn't too noticeable. After cleaning them out of their T-Shirt supply (a recent show apparently left them with only 4 shirts remaining, and God moved me to buy 3 of them), I went on to wait in the 7-ball stage for their performance.
The Jars took the stage at exactly 4:40pm on Thursday, June 29, right after the high-energy band "Third Day". It seemed to be a tough act to follow since Third Day was a more electric guitar-driven band, which left the crowd hyper and wanting more. I was a little worried that the Jars' signature acoustic guitars and beautiful ballads wouldn't keep the crowd's energy up, but I was pleasantly mistaken. The band launched with no warning into their first song, "Like a Child". The crowd, which I would estimate to be around 300 people (the large tent was packed - no chairs), instantly began to groove to the energetic song. Next, "Like a Child" flowed seamlessly into "Boy on a String", which continued to keep the crowd excited. The band was obviously enjoying themselves also as they laughed and smiled while dancing around the stage. After "Boy on a String" ended, Dan (lead vocals) took a moment to say "hi" to the crowd.
He commented that this was his first time at Cornerstone, and he hadn't seen so many interesting hairstyles before. He joked that he may need to try out a new hairstyle himself. :) Personally, I like his hair the way it is. :)
Next, the music picked up again with "Sinking", a song about addictions. After this was my personal favorite, "Love Song for a Savior". I have always loved this song since I saw the Jars perform with PFR. The song is beautiful enough as is, but it only gets better as the Jars encourage the crowd to sing the chorus with them at the end, and eventually the entire crowd was singing "I want to fall in love with you" acappella. More than just being beautiful, it was extremely worshipful. It was exciting to see this rock and roll crowd lifting their voices and hands to Jesus in this way. This was a highlight of the show for me.
Throwing many of us for a loop was their next song, which I believe was titled "Fade to Gray". This was a song off their indie release "Frail", which didn't make it onto their debut release. Hopefully it will reappear on a later album, since it seemed to go over well with the crowd despite the fact that very few of us knew the lyrics. "Flood", the first song released by the Jars, was the next song on the lineup. Although this song has never thrilled me on the album for some reason, I have always loved singing along to it during their shows. This song proved to be a crowd pleaser as the audience clapped and sang along. In some ways it reminded me of Steve Taylor's new arrangement of "On the Fritz" - the song has a soft, calm feel during the verses, but becomes high strung and wild on the chorus. :) The band was really moving during this one, dancing around the stage and really enjoying themselves. The audience was almost just as active.
Believe it or not, I can't remember if the Jars had an encore or not. It would seem so, yet I can't remember if their last song was part of the regular set or an encore. Anyhow, during a long pause after "Flood", the audience began shouting requests... To my delight, they played mine - the bonus track many are familiar with, which is known as "4:7". As it may be obvious, the song is called "4:7" because it is essentially II Corinthians 4:7 put to music. The Jars rocked through this short song, and ended it with a delightful bit of audience participation. Normally, the song ends with Dan singing "Whoa-oh, yeah-ah, whoa-oh, yeah-ah..." and so on, but here they changed it first to a sing-a-long of "nah-nah-nah-nah-nah" (try to fit it to the music - it is tricky to remember), and lastly to "Hallelujah". And so this is how their set ended - with the audience singing "Hallelujah" to the music as the band left the stage one by one, until only Dan was left to say goodbye to the crowd. It was wonderful! It was only too bad their set only lasted 30 minutes - it ended at exactly 5:10pm.
During the entire show, the audience was obviously very familiar with the Jars' music as they were singing along to every word. This seemed to be a clear indication of their popularity more than anything else. However, as the Jars often remind us, their talent is from God and not from themselves. This more than anything else impresses me most about the Jars - as talented a band as they are, they are very humble and centered on serving Christ, and they want us to know that. Of all the bands I met during Cornerstone, I never felt more welcome or relaxed then when I was talking with Jars of Clay.
Overall, this show was a big highlight for me. It was too bad they couldn't use their prerecorded stuff, since I could see where it would've helped the sound quite a bit in certain songs, and I think it made the song "Liquid" impossible (one of their best songs and they didn't play it...dang!) Still, despite these limitations, they were well received and appreciated at Cornerstone. I noticed a day or so later that their CDs had sold out in the True Tunes store...True Tunes had set up a huge store in the big merchandise tent, with thousands of CDs from many artists...One day I noticed at least 40 or so Jars of Clay CDs on the table, and within a day or two they were all gone with a note saying there were more available at the PFR booth. :)
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* Jars magazine articles/ads:
I'm currently trying to form a list of magazines the guys have been in. If anyone can help make additions to this list, it'd be very much appreciated! :) And, I would be very happy to trade photocopies of them for the ones I've found, then transcribe them for the newsletter. Here's what I have found (with much help!) so far:
( * denotes a full page (picture, ad or article), ** denotes 2 pages, etc. Also, "~" denotes a new issue or magazine, listings of articles will follow)
~CCM July '95: ad*, On the Beat p.13, Mud picture p.16, In Concert w/ PFR p. 75 w/ picture of all the guys together.*
~CCM June '95: On the Beat p.24, album review p.66.
~CCM May '95: Walking a Tightrope p.6, Faces to Watch* p.32, ad* p.85, Making Contact (their address) p.92.
~CCM July '94: On the Beat (Unsigned/Indies): GMA Spotlight winners
~CCM Update 9 (18): 5/8/95: CHR chart
~CCM Update 9 (19): 5/15/95 CHR charts
~CCM Update 9 (20): 5/22/95 CHR charts
~CCM Update 9 (22): 6/5/95 ad* back page w/ picture & comments, Charts: CHR, Top Albums, Most adds Rock (#1), Rock charts, Out and About (re: CD-Rom).
(Please note: these are the only CCM updates I've been able to obtain, they are probably in many more issues as well so it's not complete) ~CCM Update 5/23/94 p.6 "Gallery", picture.
~Performance: 24 (51): 4/21/95: Spotlight**** article, pull-out 4 color pages + picture on front cover.
~Release: May/June '95: ad* p.53, picture p.54.
~Shout Summer '95, ad*, free compilation cd ad from shout & Z-tv
~Bookstore Journal May '95: picture p.34, album review p.132.
~Christian Retailing 4/25/95: Music News p.28 (New Artist Profile).
~Christian Retailing 6/25/95: p.? album review. (see below for review!)
~New Music Guide Spring '95: Interview w/ Charlie Lowell re:Jars.*
~Syndicate #45: "Breaking Jars of Clay"* p.11, album review p.15.
~GMA Today June/July '94: picture/article on Spotlight '94 p.3.
~Billboard 5/27/95: Single Reviews (for Flood) p.?
~Billboard 6/?/95: p.105 Belew Article mentions work w/ Jars.
Newspaper articles:
~Greensboro, NC News & Record: 7/1/95*
~VOG Atlanta: 4 (10): June '95: Review p.8
~Parkminster Presbyterian. (home church) * by youth pastor (See E.V.#1) Flyers:
~Network Church 7/2/95*
~Rocketown w/ Sixpence, 10/4/94.
The Jars Press Kit Includes:
~Three possible promotional photos
~Gatefold cardboard jar, opens w/ pictures and describes songs.
~Lyric packet, 14 pages (same text as inside cd booklet)
~Three page biography
!Phew! OK, I know it's quite an exhaustive list, but I wanted to catalogue everything... :)
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* Article: Christian Retailing 6/25/95: p.? album review:
When listening to this new Christian artist, one cannot take the typical approach of finding a secular band comparison. Jars of Clay upsets the status quo and actually stands on its own musical identity. Perhaps this debut act can set a trend for Christian artists to create a genre instead of merely imitating it.
Musically, the group's folk-based rock integrates diverse instrumentation with unusual sound effects, from the chanting of monks to the chirping of crickets. Jars of Clay uniquely incorporate these nuances without forfeiting the songs' integrity.
Lyrically, the group paints with an artistic stroke. Some listeners may find it necessary to listen to the album a few times to comprehend the four-some's message of the frailty of humanity.
Jars of Clay is tantalizing at first sip, yet listeners who savor and allow the flavor to resonate are likely to discover vessels of treasure, both musically and lyrically. The cuts "Liquid" and "Flood" (first radio single) are ones to note.
Don't hesitate recommending this project to customers who are looking for new blood. Jars of Clay should be especially pleasing to fans of Rich Mullins and Iona. --David Davore
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* Biography (taken from the Jars of Clay press kit):
In his second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul wrote, "We have this treasure in jars of Clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." Almost 2,000 years later, Steve Mason sees the band's purpose in much the same way. "The jar of clay is a picture of something so easily broken that you wouldn't put a valuable treasure in it, yet God does that anyway," he says. "That one verse paints in full the picture of what we're trying to communicate."
Taking their name and their mission from II Cor. 4:7, Jars of Clay, on their self-titled debut album, put a message as old as scripture itself to music that is on the very cutting edge of modern rock.
Jars of Clay's sound is built on Dan Haseltine's lead vocals laid overtop the driving, rhythmic acoustic guitar interplay of Steve Mason and Matt Odmark, colored by Charlie Lowell's often ethereal keyboards. With influences that range from the Beatles to Jimi Hendrix, to Christian stalwart Rich Mullins, and modern alternative rockers Toad the Wet Sprocket and Depeche Mode, Jars of Clay have crafted a sound that is indeed all their own.
"I would like to think what we're doing here is unique," says Steve. "I get frustrated with acts being 'the Christian equivalent' of anybody else, because I think that if it's of God, it can be better than anything the world has to offer."
Jars of Clay came together in late 1993, and in a little over a year became one of the most sought-after acts in Christian music when they won the 1994 Gospel Music Association Spotlight Award, winning out over more than 200 acts as the best unsigned band on the scene.
Charlie and Dan met in 1992 at Greenville College in Illinois. Both lived on the same dormitory floor and were majoring in the school's contemporary music program. When they discovered they had similar musical tastes, they began working on a demo recording project together in the studio at Greenville.
The following year bass player Steve Mason, who was a freshman, teamed up with the two-some and Charlie's guitarist/roommate to form a legitimate band. "People seemed to really enjoy what we were doing," says Charlie, "and we were ourselves, so we did a CD demo just to see if we could pull it off.
It was more for fun. We didn't have intentions of going to Nashville and trying to get a record deal."
Matt Odmark, a childhood friend of Charlie's, joined the band after the departure of the group's original guitar player, and things began to take off quicker than the group ever dreamed.
"After we'd finished three or four songs, we submitted them to the GMA Spotlight Song Contest in 1994 and decided to try and finish an entire album," Charlie recalls. "We spent all our weekends and vacations in the studio. People started looking at us as a real band.
"Winning at GMA was really the beginning of everything. We weren't expecting anything, so we hadn't even taken the energy to send the demo out to anyone yet. After we won, people started approaching us and we started getting a lot of positive feedback. We started sending out our CD to the industry and getting a lot of good response, and began considering coming down to Nashville and taking it more seriously."
It would be more accurate to say that record labels began beating the band's door down. "We were getting calls on the pay phone on our dorm floor," says Charlie. "We weren't even sure how some of them got our number.
We finally put a sign by the phone that said "If anybody calls regarding Jars of Clay, take down their number and tell them "this"...but don't tell them "this."' School ended three weeks later and we came to Nashville and started meeting with people."
Jars of Clay signed with Essential/Brentwood Music and soon went to work on their album, produced in part by Adrian Belew, whose track record includes stints with progressive rock giants David Bowie and King Crimson, as well as a number of major-label solo projects. Although all four men had felt callings to careers in music and ministry for much of their lives, the enthusiasm with which they were received still sent their heads spinning.
Yet Jars of Clay has managed to keep their feet on the ground.
"We find ourselves more humbled than egotistical," says Charlie.
"Seeing the response of people in the industry, and other musicians we look up to who've commented on our music, makes us feel honored, and unworthy, and very blessed. One thing we're trying to establish as a band is a lifestyle ministry going beyond the music and what we do as a band, and more than anything, trying to let people see that we are very normal humans, who have a faith in Christ, but are really no different from them."
"I don't feel like God gives gifts of fame," comments Matt. "I think if we're in a position where attention is going to be drawn to us, there will be a way for that attention to be refocused on Christ."
All of the members of Jars of Clay collaborated on the album's songs.
Choosing standouts from an album as uniformly inspired as Jars of Clay is a hard thing to do. But still the best-of-the-best have a way of identifying themselves.
"'World's Apart' is about really breaking down the walls we put around us of pride and selfishness, and becoming vulnerable as humans, and holding that out and offering it to God," says Charlie. "It has a certain mood about it that's very strong and compliments the lyrics."
"I'm really happy with 'Art in Me,'", says Matt. "I've always felt Dan did an amazing job of communicating lyrically on that song. It deals with discovering the beauty of God's creation in us, and coming to terms with the art He's created and intended in us. Musically, it's a bit of a departure in that it's very acoustic, like much of the album, but it features a lot of live drums rather than samples. It starts almost gently and builds to a dramatic intensity by the end."
"I think 'Blind' is really strong both musically and lyrically," Steve says. "It's done with a nylon string guitar and Ron Huff did a string arrangement behind it that's just haunting. It talks about the cynical nature of man, and how we crucify Christ daily with our unbelief. We deny the sacrifice He made for us. I see a culture today that's living in denial and cynicism. Many have heard the message, but just choose not to believe."
While Jars of Clay have become the talk of the Christian music industry, the experience of having a national platform from which to perform and minister is brand new to them, and something they don't take lightly.
"All I really feel qualified to do is tell what God has done in my life, and what I believe He can be to others," states Matt. "And there's also a great responsibility to do that correctly in accordance with the scripture."
"If I'm going to be up there in front of kids," continues Charlie, "potentially being a role-model, telling them where I think they need to be, I better be sure that I'm in the Word every day, and where I need to be."
As their tour bus departs for the first time, and Jars of Clay head out to meet the world at large, each has his own individual, yet common, set hopes and dreams.
"My main hope is not to get caught up in the differences with people, but rather just to model and follow the life of Christ," Charlie offers. "I want to keep to simple messages -- portraying the sacrifice Christ has made for us, and that we need to surrender to Him and follow Him. There's a desire in me to create art of integrity that also glorifies Christ."
"We want to offer something that's an alternative to everything else that's out there," says Matt. "Something that's different and interesting musically with artistic integrity, that sends a true picture of that relationship." "I'm trusting that as we head out, that whatever we're confronted with," Dan adds, "the Lord will see us through."
"Creatively, I just hope we continue to progress with the times and keep up with things, and can share our creative vision with others," says Steve, giving voice to a vision shared by all four members of Jars of Clay.
"Spiritually, I've already gotten a new sense of how God works in a creative atmosphere, and just hope -- along the way -- to get another small glimpse of who He is."
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Questions & Comments:
Jars' video was recently featured on Much Music, Canada's MTV equivalent (the video for Flood). Here's what I was told by the Canadian person who saw it all:
Sender: sgarrity@isn.net
To: earthpots@aol.com
"Much Music is Canada's MTV. It's a full time music video station and it rocks way harder than MTV. When JoC was on, they were on what they call the "indie video spotlight", which is just a thing where they show the video's of unsigned bands (odd, isn't it because JoC is signed)."
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From: ad326@leo.nmc.edu (Steve Carlson)
To: earthpots@aol.com
I have some questions to ask for the next issue.... Such as,
Why does the inside of the CD have "Truck" printed there? What's the point? :) How do they like their music to be described? What do they have planned for a second album, if they've even thought of one? What will come after the PFR tour?
I will try to answer some questions for you:
["Truck" was printed by the manufacturers although they weren't told to print this. On the proof CD, the guys thought it looked artistic and although there is no purpose to the word, thought they'd keep it. The picture was taken on one of their photo shoots when they came upon an abandoned truck and thought it might make a good picture. They were thinking of having a contest to see who could come up with the best meaning for it...any takers? Not that I have many prizes I could give out! My thought was that the Truck could symbolize a jar in a way (are you lost yet?). This could be a valid interpretation because the truck is man-made (like a jar), broken and rundown (like we get sometimes, this is a theme on the album) and has LIFE growing in it! There are plants growing in the back of it, which can symbolize the life that grows in us despite the hardships and being broken. That's the best I can come up with, any other comments are welcome for the next issue! :)
I think they'd most like their music to be described as spiritual, but we'll leave that question for them sometime. Musically I know they admire the production techniques of many bands including The Trio, PFR, Sarah McLachlan, Seal, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and MANY more...
They are planning a second album, as their contract is for multiple albums, and a CD-Rom is in the works for January '96 or so. A Christmas single will also be released in October-November, and they're beginning work on that right now. It'll probably include Little Drummer Boy, God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman, and another acoustic song or two from their debut album.
I haven't heard anything specific for after the PFR tour, but am sure it'll be good. :) We'll keep you posted! Hopefully they can answer questions like these in the next issue. -Ed.]
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From: Lilroxie
To: earthpots
(excerpt) Re: National CBA Meeting
What I really wanted to tell you is about an award Jars won. Every year, there is this thing called Impact Awards for different categories, such as: best album jacket, best display, and even one called total promotion campaign for music. The last one being the one Jars was in. They had set up a display of all the promo stuff Essential had done and CBA members like myself were to vote for the best one. We had to choose between groups like Point of Grace, Newsboys, etc, who all had pretty impressive things set up.
However, the winner was none other than the jars boys! It was definitely well deserved, I think Essential did an excellent promotion job!
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Q & A from Charlie:
Date: 95-07-20 02:39:28 EDT
From: Pdljmpr7
I will attempt to answer some of your questions, posted previously. I hope this makes sense...
1. The chants on "Liquid"...
Basically, we had a tape from the library full of traditional Gregorian Chants and we sampled a small portion of a chant and took it to the studio. When we slowed it down to the key of "liquid," (Eb minor) it just fit perfectly, so we left it there! That's about it- Divine Intervention, some would say!? As to what the chant is saying, we don't know (something in Latin...), but if anyone finds out and can prove it, we'll award you! Here's what we think they're saying: "Are you sleeping little lamb? Please don't, please don't step on me!" :)
2. Who's the woman singing on "World's Apart"?
That is the beautiful voice of our good friend, Mancy A'lan Kane, who lives near us in Nashville. We heard Mancy's demo, and shortly thereafter, got to know her a bit as a friend. Her voice seemed perfect for the "vibe" of the song.
3. Do we listen to the album for casual listening?
Sort of. We did a bit after it was recorded, just to put the whole thing in perspective and to be simply blown away by what God was doing through us. I like to listen to Worlds Apart from time to time because it is my favorite song on the album, and the words really minister to me- how it is so important to constantly humble ourselves and allow the Lord to break us of ourselves and our selfishness...
4. Do we ever get tired of our songs?
To an extent, but it's hard to really get sick of them because we feel like they are such gifts from God. They are still pretty new to us, but ask us again in a year.........
5. Do we answer e-mail?
(Chris- I think you can answer that one! :)
We love getting personal e-mail, and try to answer as many as we can. We really like staying in touch with our "audience"/ friends, and love to hear how God is working in your lives. E-mail us at "Clayjars@aol.com". We are on the road a bit, but always are anxious to check our mail when we come home.
6. What is "four seven" in the album credits?
Four seven is the two minute song that appears a few minutes after "Blind," the last track. It is titled after the scripture it is taken directly from, 2nd Corinthians four seven.
The lyrics are:
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
To show that this power is from God,
and not from us."
Please pray for us as we travel lots and minister to friends across the country- thanks!
God's Grace and Peace that Surpasses,
Charlie
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Love Song for a Savior: Released for Radio!
Yes, the second release is out...please call your radio station and request it! It was released a couple weeks ago and has not yet received the attention that Flood did, but we'll see what happens. The artwork on the Cd's sent to radio stations is quite nice. A three-fold cover with a Jar on the front and jars of clay written in the background lightly over a marble black & gray design, you open it to find the signature verse first, then 9 blocks of different pictures. Here's what they are: 1. the Truck! :) Except this time from the front end. 2. The guys, a promo picture not used yet for anything else. 3. An old serene bridge in the middle of a forest (my personal favorite) 4. a dogs face (?) 5. the middle block, a Jar with the logo. 6. a group of about 12 mailboxes pointing in different directions (?) 7. another promo smiley picture 8. the back of the truck 9. the picture of the guys that's on the album cover. Now, if this wasn't enough, you open it again and find all the lyrics to Love Song... then pull out the Cd with a somewhat hidden jar in gray on it and the logo. The Cd contains the album version and a shorter radio edit. Please note that this cd can not be found in stores, it is merely to send out to radio stations for airplay.
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Charting the Singles:
It is rumored that Flood is at #1 presently. I haven't seen this in anything yet but I believe it! Love song has been released as mentioned above, but I don't think it's charted yet. Here's the big news: the debut album by Jars is now at #2 on the national CCM charts! It hasn't appeared in Billboard yet, but apparently it's the 2nd or 3rd week it's been #2, right behind "My utmost for His Highest". Thanks to all of you, who helped put it there!
In other news, the Flood video that has been seen on ccm-tv will be played at the beginning of every week at the Baptist camps (sorry, I forgot the name of the camps) this summer. It will be seen by 30,000 people at these camps alone. Praise God! Pray that this will help kick off a great week of tremendous ministry to the people attending the camps.
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Live tunes performed by Jars: The concert set list for the guys on their spot dates this summer is as follows (acoustic shows will probably differ slightly):
Liquid
Like a child
Sinking
He
O God, You Are My God
Art in me
Fade to Grey
Good Coffee, Strong Coffee
Love Song for a Savior
Brief Testimony (Matt O. is doing this presently)
Boy on a string
Flood
Four Seven
Concert Review: 4/12/95 Shawnee, OK
From: scatcat@tyrell.net (Danl Blackwood)
To: Earthpots@aol.com
PFR, Brent Bourgeois, Jars Of Clay
Raley Chapel, Oklahoma University, Shawnee, OK
Wednesday Night, 8:00pm, 12 Apr 95
Raley Chapel is a larger than life building in the middle of the OBU campus, sitting on top of a hill in the middle of the Shawnee, OK. Note: Those of us living in the middle of the plains states sometimes get carried away, and call a slight elevation a hill. :-) It was more a magnificent church than a chapel, with a spire that was probably a hundred feet tall. It was so big that standing next to it made me feel small and insignificant. It gave me a perspective of how big God is. The auditorium was also huge with an extremely tall ceiling. I'm guessing it holds 2300 people, most of it being the main floor, with a small balcony. The concert was a free event put on by a student organization. The doors opened at 7:00pm for the student body, and then they let all off-campus visitors in at 7:30pm.
Jars Of Clay has only been together for 15 months, and take their name from 2nd Corinthians 4:7, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." This, of course, refers to us holding the Gospel of the glory of Jesus (this treasure) inside our hearts and minds and bodies (jars of clay). Matt, one of the guitar players, told me they are from all over the US, but all live in Nashville now. I didn't get all the names, just Matt and Steve, the guitar players.
They also have a keyboard player, drummer, and a lead singer. (No bass player - was covered by recorded tracks). Being a very young band with an energetic acoustic rock sound, they were a hit with this college crowd. They played a quick 25 minute set, and spent the rest of the evening "teching" for PFR.
Their first album is due out May 1st.
It took Jars Of Clay (turned PFR roadies) about 10 minutes to prepare the stage. Then Joel Hanson (guitar, lead vocals), Patrick Andrew (bass, lead vocals), and Mark Nash (drums) took the stage with Patrick singing the hit "Great Lengths" he co-wrote with their producer Jimmie Lee Sloas (also a bass player - Cool! A two-bass-player song). Of course everybody was on their feet, and we rarely sat all evening.
[PFR review omitted due to space constraints, sorry]
Everyone came back for the encore. With Matt (JOC), Steve (JOC), and Joel on acoustic and everyone else either singing or on percussion, Joel says "we're going to have a sing-a-long" and begins "That Kind Of Love". At the second verse they stopped singing, and Joel says, "OK, you take the second verse."
Without any further prompting, the entire house sang "The way He died upon the cross..." and continued, including all the inflections.
While rearranging back to just PFR and Brent to shouts of "Goldie!", Joel exclaims to our amusement, "The dog's dead, for crying out loud. Let him be!"
Next came the announcement (many of us were already aware of) that a new album called "Come Together, America Salutes The Beatles" included participation by PFR with Phil Keaggy. They proceeded with "We Can Work It Out", sounding very faithful. Finally without further hints from the audience they broke into "Goldie", and we enthusiastically expressed our appreciation, which continued long after the song was over and the lights came on. Then everyone headed for the merchandise tables to visit and get autographs from some of the most cordial and approachable Christian performers I've ever met. This part of their ministry is really incredible.
After a long day of travel, setup, sound checks, performing, and now seemingly endless lines of admirers, their charm and compassion only increased. I guess only because I used to live this life (in the secular world), did it really impact me how much they really do love their fans. Even though I'll bet a lot of people didn't realize it (because they were so excited to meet them), they were witnessing an excellent example of unconditional love by PFR, Brent, and Jars Of Clay.
Jars Of Clay set (I think) -
Liquid
Sinking
Love Song For A Savior
Like A Child
Flood
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Syndicate Article: Breaking Jars of Clay (by Mark Smeby)
Taking advantage of the beautiful springtime weather in Nashville, it seemed appropriate to go for a walk with the "Jar boys." Chances are you may have heard some of the buzz surrounding this new foursome. It seems that after winning the Gospel Music Association's New Artist Spotlight competition last year, the bands demo CD, frail, found its way into the hands of many hungry Nashville A & R reps. Their unique blend of acoustic guitars, programmed drum loops, and intensely personal, God-focused lyrics struck a chord with industry types tired of the same 'ol, same 'ol.
Combine this buss with Brentwood Music's Essential label putting unprecedented support into breaking the band, including a national tour with PFR even before their album is released, and you've got a speeding locomotive heading down uncharted tracks. At least uncharted by the four young guys in the band: vocalist Dan Haseltine, keyboardist Charlie Lowell, and guitarists Matt Odmark, and Steve Mason.
During our time spent in the Centennial Park bandshell, I couldn't help but notice how committed these guys are to keeping their focus in the right place, in spite of all the hype that's been surrounding them. It turns out, their time on the road with seasoned vets, PFR, was a valuable education.
Mason, the most fiercely creative of the bunch, said "PFR's heart for ministry is kind of the same that we share. We share the same thought that we aren't going to be doing this forever. Joel (Hanson) from PFR said many times during shows that the band and the music will fade away, but what we do for Christ will last." Mason continues, "And they're very casual about their success. Mark Nash said once, 'Oh, our song's at number one? What's for breakfast?' "
The past years "whirlwind of activities," as they say, has been a huge learning process for them, not without conflict amongst the ranks. Charlie, the self-described "servant and peacemaker" of the group said, "A lot of what we're learning is how to deal with God's grace in our lives - with our shortcomings, and even one step beyond that, how to extend that to each other because we're together so much and we grind on each other so much."
Similar to Reed Arvin's semi-fictional account of the Christian music industry, The Wind In the Wheat, Jars of Clay has had to deal with the issue of ministry versus business. Matt, the "spiritual mentor" of the group said, "One of the things that Reed questions is how do you be a person that is all you and be a performer at the same time? That's something that I've really taken from the book, really trying to perceive myself as who I am outside of my circumstances, whether it be that I'm in a band or whatever. Learning who I am, who God created me to be, and understanding that with regards to, and in spite of my gifts and where He's placed me."
Lowell continues: "That touches on one of the things that we most want to do as a band - to make sure, to the best of our abilities, to be really honest with our audiences that we are no different than them and that we are constantly struggling with stuff even though they're watching us on stage. We want them to see the love that we have for each other and just to know that we're sinners saved by grace, the same as them. God's given us a gift and we want to give it back to Him."
The "control freak" of the bunch, Haseltine added another perspective: "I've come to realize that when we're on stage, we have that amount of time to take all the attention that's been put on us and shift it to God. You have your entire career to basically somewhat work against what the industry creates, this pedestal. I think that it's possible to shift that focus on to God rather than yourself. But it seems like you're always kind of working against what people are creating by all the hype."
Mason concluded with the bands realization that nothing they have done has got them up to where they're at right now. "God's done quite a number driving us to this point and we'll just continue to ride in the back seat and just kind of hang on for the ride."
Please note: I will try to keep the next Jars issue from getting this long! :) Sorry if it took a lot of time to download. I'll split it up and try to send it more often. So much to say! Also, there will be a Jars of Clay FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document finished by the end of the week, and it will be sent to all of you who are subscribed. Thank you all and please continue to lift this ministry up in prayer to God.