The Official Monthly Jars of Clay Email News Digest
10/27/96
4,038 Subscribers
web site: http://www.jarsofclay.com
CONTENTS:
*Movie Soundtrack update
*New Platinum Website
*Tour Update
*As Rumours Abound
*Concert Review #1: 9/2/96 Mill City Music Fest, Minneapolis, MN
*Concert Review #2: 7/27/96 Fargo, ND
*Concert Review #3: 10/26/96 Kirksville, MO
*Prayer Requests
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*Movie Soundtrack update:
Although Jars had written a song for a movie called Long Kiss Goodnight (which was supposed to be about a girl in a wheelchair, who knows what happened to the plot!) the song did not appear in the movie after all, but was included on soundtrack which should be out on cd soon. The song Flood was supposed to be in the Grisham film The Chamber, but was also not included for an unknown reason. We are sorry for giving out any false information on these soundtracks.
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*New Platinum website:
There is a new jars of clay website to celebrate the platinum status of the album. You can find the information at: http://www.vision3.com/jarsgold Included is a video of blind from the latest tour, realaudio interview segments and a chance to win jars limited edition platinum cd's. Also included at the site is a listing of where "platinum parties" are occuring in various Christian bookstores across the U.S. and Canada. You can still order merchandise at our site: http://www.jarsofclay.com and you will find continual tour updates, new audio & video clips, news, pictures, letters from the band, and lots more!
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*Tour Update:
The fall tour has been very successful but not without it's trials and tribulations. A couple of weeks into the tour, opening act The Samples were dropped from the tour due to incompatibility with Jars. There were many problems which arose that could not have been seen in foresight, and the bands were simply too different personally to be travelling together and playing music for the same audiences. The Gufs are still on the tour and have been widely received. They are hungry for truth and are asking many questions. Please pray for the remainder of the tour. There may be one more opening act added for some of the last shows.
Musically and professionally, this tour has been much more impressive than any previous tours. A seventh jar, Roddie Chiong of Chicago, has been added on violin this tour, which has matured the sound even more. Two semi's of equipment and two buses for the band and crew have been touring along for the best possible tour production that can be put on. The lights are very professional and they have been playing at auditoriums, most of which have a great atmosphere for stage theatrics and improve the visual look of the band. We hope that all of you will be able to see a show sometime in an area near you! The new setlist includes a great version of blind, 4 new songs and a full set of the old material as well.
Following this tour, jars will have a break (at last!) and work on writing songs for the new album that hopefully will be out by spring of 1997. Here are the remainder of the dates for the fall tour:
10/27: Cains Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
10/30: Augustana College, Manhattan, KS
11/3: Brevard Fair, Cocoa Beach, FL
11/4: Galtard Auditorium, Charleston, SC
11/6: Stetson University, Deland, FL
11/7: Heritage Festival, West Palm Beach, FL
11/8: Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg, FL
11/9: Velocity, Jacksonville, FL
11/10: House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
11/14: Celebrity, Phoenix, AZ
11/15: UCSB Event Center, Santa Barbara, CA
11/16: Bren Center, Irvine, CA
11/20: Memorial Auditorium, Wichita Falls, TX
11/21: Cotillion, Wichita, KS
11/22: Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE
11/23: Youth Convention, St. Louis, MO
11/26: Caffe Milano, Nashville, TN Christmas Benefit Show
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*As Rumours Abound:
I wanted to write a quick column on *why* the jars are doing what they are in the mainstream area. It is confusing and disheartening to hear rumours from internet and elsewhere on how jars are going "secular" and are no longer Christians, how they were involved in a drug bust, how they toured with Marilyn Manson, & other countless false stories about them. None of the above rumours are true, of course. It upsets me to hear people hurting a ministry that God has blessed so abundantly, but all I can do is say that these rumours are not true and pray for these people. None of us are perfect, and neither are jars, so they should not be put on pedastals to begin with. They are just "beggars telling other beggars where they found bread", to use a quote from A.W. Tozer, I believe.
I can't convince anyone of the faith that Jars have, all I can say is you have to go talk to them and form your own opinions but let God be the one to judge. There are many people who are very negative about Christian artists "crossing-over" and don't like to see it happen. This is usually due to different styles of ministries, which is fine (see Romans 14). We are all called to behave differently and we all have different convictions within the moral boundaries of our faith. (From the scripture above, some people could eat meat rightfully in the days of Christ, others could not. This was due to their convictions based on what the Holy Spirit led them to do).
Jars have been called to strive to minister to the lost as Jesus would've. They are reaching an arena of people who have never heard about Jesus before, or at least not in the light they're hearing about Him now, and jars are doing this without sacrificing their own personal standards. In the midst of this, there are still many people who disagree with this form of ministry and criticize them and spread rumours. Please continue to help us dispell these rumours and encourage people to only believe what they see or hear directly from the band. The modern day media has many pitfalls and doesn't like to see a band such as jars gaining popularity in a mainstream crowd. We need to realize that we cannot always believe what we hear or see on tv or in magazines or newspapers. Please join me in praying for the media and others who may have difficulties understanding this type of ministry, and also praying for jars, that in their human nature they won't fall into the same pitfalls that the Enemy throws at many of us.
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*Concert Review #1: 9/2/96 Mill City Music Fest, Minneapolis, MN
From: klee@minn.net
I had the opportunity to see Jars of Clay perform at the Mill City Music Festival in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This concert was a primarily secular festival, with Jars and DC Talk being the two bands representing the Christian music scene. My friends and I arrived to the Jars stage about 30 minutes early to get good position to see them. Like in February, Jars started off with Liquid. They sounded great! About three songs later, the rain started pouring and mechanical problems arose. The great thing was, the band kept their cool and Dan was really casual and was cracking jokes. It kept the restless audience from leaving. After everything settled down, we had the great pleasure of listening to Matt and his wonderful cappucino impression and about thirty minutes later, Jars ended their concert with an energetic version of Flood. During the concert, I met up with a friend that knew Matt and Charlie Lowell, so we ran back behind the stage and waited at a fence, trying to talk with them. Little did we know that Jars came out and were talking to fans out front! We got to talk with Jars and they were the nicest guys! One of my friends didn't have anything to get signed so the drummer just handed her a CD and she got that signed. To this day, she still treasures it. It was a great experience to meet Jars and it was such a reassurance to see how they live humbly even through all their success. I wish you guys the best of luck in all you do! God bless.
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*Concert Review #2: 7/29/96 Fargo, ND
from: YLIndy@aol.com
To be honest I don't remember much about what songs they played or when they played them. I had just driven 1,000 miles to from Indianapolis to Minnesota to met up with a group of friends from Castaway Club, a Young Life's Resort. We were gathering to work the month of August with teenagers from across the country and thought the Jars concert would be a good way to start our month together. And it was. The venue was sort of odd. A civic center that looked more like a high school gym than a convention center. I had no idea Fargo was so small. At any rate, the atmosphere was still fun. The audience was mostly under 18, and mostly from youth groups. Duncan Shiek opened up and if I closed my eyes I would have thought Toad the Wet Sprocket had taken the stage. I asked Duncan after the show if anyone had mentioned he sounded a lot like Toad and he informed me he's not a huge fan of theirs. Oh well, he's missing out.
It was great to see these guys after many failed attempts back home. (I missed their show at Cornerstone due to the fact they rescheduled it at the last minute). They played everything off their first album except Art in Me, and a couple new tunes. I think the whole world is ready for a new CD from these guys. Other than that I don't remember many details from the show. It is what happened afterwards that stuck in my mind.
Some friends of mine had gone to the airport to pick up someone. His flight had been delayed a number of times and they were not quite sure when he would be actually arriving. I told them to go ahead and I would just hang out at the concert hall. I hooked up with Matt "Odie", we had exchanged a few messages over E-mail and I wanted to meet him face to face. I asked him if anyone else in the band had been involved with Young Life and he introduced me to Charlie. Charlie and I started to tell stories of times at camp and eventually Steve came by and the three of us kind of got to hang out for a while. They were great! At first conversation was pretty light, but I was really interested in how they were really doing, so I asked. And they told me!
I asked them why they had decided to tour with so many non-Christian bands and in non-Christian venues. They told me that they are the only Christians the majority of these guys will ever know, and they strive to be like Jesus to them on the road. They responded just how I thought they would, but it was so cool to know that there are guys out there who will put their lives on the line to be a witness to someone. There is an approach to evangelism called "Incarnational Evangelism". It's not rocket science and it wasn't "invented" by anyone. It is simply living as Christ did, with the lost. I'm sure they guys get quite a bit of criticism from those who might not understand their "lifestyle" but I know God has, and will continue to use them in powerful ways.
The other area I asked them about is how they are doing spiritually. I hope others are willing to ask them that, it is kind of our jobs as their brother or sister in Christ. They explained the fact that they all get along helps a great deal. However, the more time they spend away from home the more difficult it can be. They also mentioned that they try and bring in a pastor every once in a while to lead them. The are truly in the mission field and God is doing some great things through their lives.
My prayers are with them as they try and live godly lives and witness for our Creator. These are the things that I will take from the show in Fargo.
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*Concert Review #3: Kirksville, MO
genesis@genesis.acu.edu (Dano)
Well, a week after the heartbreaking cancellation of JOC/Samples concert here in my town of residence (Columbia, MO), I travelled 90 miles to see JOC/The Gufs in my hometown (Kirksville, MO). The show was well worth the trip. The concert was held in the gym at Truman State University, with the floor entirely clear of chairs, and bleachers pulled out on the side opposite the stage. The Gufs (whom I had never heard of before this show) took the stage and rocked the house with their tight timing, killer drums and second percussionist, and deep pounding bass. The only thing is that they had to deal with an uneven mix, and the vocalist was inaudible most of the time, as were the keys (which were played special by Charlie Lowell for one song) But in all, the Gufs were a fun, high energy show.
Then the lights came on, and after about 15 minutes worth of stage resetting (removing all the Gufs' equipment and the monitors from the stage, leaving only 3 lovely carpets, 3 mic stands, the drums, and the keys platform) the lights went out, the crowd went wild!
Through the wild cheering of the crowd, a new sound from the stage of JOC came through the speakers. It was the sound of the live violin!!! The lights kicked on, the band took the stage, and broke into Liquid shortly followed by Faith Like a Child and Boy on a String. This was my first experience with another new sound from the stage of JOC, the electric guitar. I must admit that I was a little skeptical about the Flood remix, but after this show, I can definitely get into the new 'plugged in' Jars. After those first three songs, I stopped keeping track both because I was having so much of a blast I didnt care, and because the band started playing songs I didn't know including some new ones, and even their Petra remake. A sequence of slow songs was finished by Worlds Apart (my personal favorite) which was followed by Fade to Grey which began with a piano inerlude and then kicked in, and dropped immediately into Flood (the piano fronted Fade to Grey turning into Flood, or 'Fade to Flood Medley' as we call it here, is something my band has done for about six months... we think JOC copied our idea :), but we were having such a good time we didnt mind!!!)
When the band finished and left the stage, the crowd began to scream wildly until the band returned to the stage. Matt said a short ditty about 2 Cor 4:7 and the band broke into Love Song For a Savior, and then wrapped up for the night with Four-Seven. I Still havent heard Cappucino or Coffe yet... Of all the times I have seen JOC so far, this was definitely the best, and I would even go so far as to recommend that if you plan to see them, try to catch them when they are headlining, and on a small stage. With the addition of the Bass and Violin, their sound has improved, and with experience of lots o touring, their stage presence has become explosive!
All in all, I have to say that JOC rocks, I cant wait for their new record, and get out to see these guys live as soon as possible!!!
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*Prayer Requests:
From: YJDS@aol.com
I have a friend to whom I am real close, and he has 2 sisters of whom I know very well too. Their father had a blood clot this summer, and it was quite serious. He was taken to the hospital several times and now the doctors said if his blood pressure rises too high, he might have a critical heart attack and possibly die. Please pray that the disease or problem goes away, Lord willing, or that he grows in Christ through this trial. Thank you.
Yvonne Veilleux (now ARCHER79@aol.com)
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From: jkhatche@liberty.edu (Joshua K. Hatcher)
I have recently been called to be a Christian musician, and i would appreciate prayer as to when and where God wants me with it... i would really appreciate prayer for open doors, (and closed ones too... and oppurtunities). Thank you all very much.
Joshua K. H@tcher
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From: jsuttie2@cln.etc.bc.ca (John Suttie)
About a week ago there was a car accidents involving 5 teens. They weren't wearing their seatbelts. Two girls were thrown out of the vehicle, one has a broken collorbone, and the other has serious spinal cord injuries. Pray for family and friends.
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Just an update on Chad Brantley. He returned home to Ft. Worth from Stephen F. Austin University and started chemo. on the 23rd. Two spots were found on his lungs, which usually occur with testicular cancer, and are not determined to be cancerous or not. He is in very good spirits and would be grateful to know that people all over the country are praying for him. Thanks everyone so much!
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From: sarahs@canacad.ac.jp (Sarah Schmidts)
Hi. I'm a missionary kid in Japan and at my international school, two friends and I have started a Bible Study. We're really struggling with the schedule right now, because of all the activities we are each involved in. There aren't many days when we're all free. We'd also like to get other kids in our school involved and we've "advertized", but there hasn't been much response. Could you all just pray for the three of us- that we'll trust God and make time for him.
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In your next newsletter you can tell your members that they can email me at jlt@juno.com if they need to talk to someone or need to pray with someone. I will be glad to minister to them. I've been a licensed minister with the Independent assemblies for the past five years, and I believe in the power of prayer. God has healed me of many different things . When I was born the doctor gave up hope for me but Jesus saved my life. I was born with no frontal bone in my head and God healed that . The doctors told my mom I was going to be a vegetable if I lived, but I've shown them that I've graduated from high school and I'm attending college through the mail doing my pastoral degree. I was also born paralyzed but I know that God isnt finished with me yet and I know that He's working on me. He has enabled me to do street, youth, men's, children's, and prison ministry in the last five years. I know that my healing is on the way because I serve a God that promises my healing through the stripes that Jesus took on His back at the cross.
Your brother in Christ Jesus,
Rev. Jody Tarr
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From: anonymous
I have a prayer request. Yesterday, my sister's high school counselor notified Child Protective Services that my father had sexually abused her. Unfortuntely, the allegations are true for her and for me. Please pray that our family can survive this ordeal.
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surfchick2@juno.com (Christyn M Ford)
This is my first year of high school. It is a lot of fun, but there are so many unsaved people there. There are a lot of christians but I think there are more nonbelievers. The christian club at school has over 50 people. and I hope that the number will triple by the end of the year. Please pray for me and Heaven bound. Thanks.
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From: t.tanjutcos@worldnet.att.net (The Tanjutcos)
Hi. My name is Christine, and I have a few prayer requests. This Monday (10/21/96), the husband of one of my teachers died after suffering from leukemia. My teacher had been married to this man for only a little over a year; please pray for God to comfort her and his family and to just carry them through this time. Also, please pray for me because I'm not feeling all too accepted right now by even my friends - like I'm always an outsider. Please pray that I'll really look to the Lord more and more to be all I need. Thanks so much; I appreciate it. Thanks also for the newsletter; I love receiving it, and I love Jars of Clay. You guys will be in my prayers. :)
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