The Official Monthly Jars of Clay Email News Digest
1/1/98
Approx. 5,500 Subscribers
www.jarsofclay.com
CONTENTS:
*Updates
*Concert Review: 11/11/97 Wexford, PA
*Concert Review: 11/15/97 Worcester, MA
*Concert Review: 11/24/97 TPAC, Nashville, TN Benefit Show
*Double Concert Review: 11/6/97 Akron, OH & 11/19/97 Columbus, OH
*Concert Review : 12/5/97 Tulsa, Oklahoma
*Concert Review: 12/6/97 Dallas, TX
*Concert Review for 12/7/97 St. Louis / American Theatre (Last show)
*Article: Songwriter's Monthly Nov. '97
*Interview with Dan Haseltine
*Article: The Tennessean 11/23/97
*Prayer Requests
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*Updates
Happy New Year! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration!
We have had obvious difficulties with the official Jars of Clay website in the past couple weeks, and apologize for the lack of notice to our subscribers. Unfortunately, there have been some huge problems but we have been working on them and are hoping that the site will be back up within another week. In addition, some time has gone by since the due date of this newsletter, but we were using majordomo through the old website which is now down, so could not distribute that way either. Finally, we retrieved a list of your email addresses and are now sending this out. Thanks for your continued patience through this!
The band will be touring, in support of Much Afraid, in Australia, Asia and parts of Europe in the next few months. We will have additional details soon and will post them at the website next week or so.
In other news, there has been a second version of the Christmas "Drummer Boy EP" released to mainstream record stores by Silvertone Records. This version, instead of including acoustic "He" and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", includes an out-take from the Much Afraid recording sessions, an instrumental entitled "Wicker Baskets", as well as the Fluffy Sav Remix of Blind. This version has been difficult to locate but is available by mail order through any large chain record store.
The Five Candles video was filmed in Los Angeles before Christmas, and the band is very happy with the results. Hopefully the video will be released for the video networks after mid-January.
Jars will make an appearance on David Letterman, somewhere between January 12th and 14th. Don't forget to set those VCR's!
Much Afraid as well as the single Crazy Times have been at #1 in Singapore for quite some time! The band will tour Singapore as well as many other faraway places in the next couple months.
As of this February, the four main band members will be married! Scott (drums) is also engaged. Please pray for them as they make this transition and head out for the next tour.
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*Concert Review: 11/11/97 Orchard Hill Church, Wexford, PA
I had seen Jars in concert last year when they opened for Michael W. Smith, and was completely inspired by them. I had heard of them before the concert, and had even bought their CD, but they completely won me over that night to their music. So of course as soon as the Much Afraid CD came out I was there to get it, and couldn't believe it when I heard that they were coming so close to where I lived!
Needless to say, Jars lived up to all of my expectations for their Bubble maker's Dream Concert, and didn't miss a beat. Jars had the honor of being the first concert in the new building at Orchard Hill, and I don't think the folks could have picked a better show to open the place for them. The concert was sold out with excited Jars fans, and my friend and I were glad we got there early, because it was general admission, and the place filled up really early. We managed to get seats four rows back, and we were there an hour early!
I have always loved Worlds Apart, especially the additional section where they begin "I look beyond the empty cross. . . " and when they sang it that night I felt so uplifted and knew that God was there watching over me. It reminded me of how often I have turned away and He has brought me back with his awesome power. All of the new songs sounded great, and I was so excited to hear them live. I have heard so much about Good Coffee, Strong Coffee, and finally got to hear it that night. It was so funny with Matt and his cappuccino maker! The band ended their set with Flood, which left us all going CRAZY and waiting for more, which they of course provided through their encore!
I can't wait for them to come back to the Pittsburgh area, because I will be there! :) By the way, I loved the bubbles!!
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*Concert Review: 11/15/97 Worcester Memorial Auditorium, MA
My friend Mike and I arrived at the Auditorium at around 6:30 and I was pumped beyond belief. I purchased two new shirts and went down to my seats which were perfect. Plumb came on and I didn't know anything about them but they won me over in a big way. Their set was too short. One of their shining moments was a great rendition of In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel. They put on a great show. Then came the Jars men. They opened with Weighed Down and right from the beginning I knew this would be a special night. Bubbles came down from the ceiling and shivers went up my spine. Then they jumped into Crazy Times which brought the house down. Steve played part of his solo with his teeth and you could tell you were in a sold out auditorium because the sound was deafening. Next came the one-two punch of Like A Child and Boy On A String. By this point you couldn't wipe the smile off of my face. Then they played Overjoyed, Tea and Sympathy, and Five Candles. They all sounded great live; especially the extended outro to Tea and Sympathy. After Five Candles they went into Love Song For A Savior. This song is such a bonafide classic. Then they softly began Blind and ended with an energetic outro that blew me away. Next they played Country Roads and The Coffee Song for their acoustic set. They joked around with the audience and everybody seemed to be having a good time. Next was the moment I was waiting for; Worlds Apart. Nothing can describe the emotions I feel when they perform this song. During that moment I truly grew closer to the Lord. They also played Drummer Boy which was a pleasant surprise. It put me in the Christmas spirit. Then they hit the audience with Truce, Fade To Grey, and Flood. Finally they came out and played Liquid and Four Seven for their encore. This show definitely reinforced an idea that I have. I hope that Jars releases a live album and video soon. Their live shows are something to be cherished.
Wayne
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*Concert Review: 11/24/97 TPAC, Nashville, TN Benefit Show
From: WindNLion@worldnet.att.net
The evening of November 24 began with a bang, and the Jars had not even taken the stage. Here in Nashville, TN, there is an organization that Jars proudly supports, the Exchange Club Child Abuse Prevention Center. There was a reception and a silent auction to benefit the center, an hour and a half before the show, and the Jars were there. They signed autographs, took pictures, and milled around. The Jars donated a signed guitar and a huge merchandise package to the auction. In addition to the reception proceeds, the "Jar Boys" also donated all of the concert proceeds to the Center.
As the lights of TPAC's Jackson Hall were lowered, the theme from Star Wars filled the Hall. Plumb quickly took the stage. Their set was great, with lead singer Tiffany Arbuckle using a megaphone on the song Concrete, which interestingly enough, was written by Dan Haseltine. Their songs served to energize the crowd, and warm up the audience for the Jar Boys.
After a major set change, the Jars set began. As "Weighed Down" began, bubbles descended onto the crowd. As if that wasn't cool enough, a video projector showed the Jar logo, and flanking the projector were two huge banners, featuring the man and woman, respectively, that are featured on the cover of Much Afraid. The Jar Boys then continued with, in no particular order, Like A Child, Boy on A String, Overjoyed, Tea and Sympathy, Fade to Grey and Five Candles. There were two highlights in this portion of the set. Seeing Steve play the electric guitar with his teeth, and hearing him say to Aaron "go low baby, drop it down" to which Aaron obliged him and played an incredibly low, loud note on his guitar, that echoed throughout the Hall.
During the acoustic part of the set, Dan and Steve kidded about covering old songs, which they said, were written "before we were born." They then sang Country Roads, a song about Nashville, or as Dan called it "Nashvul". To intro the Coffee Song, Dan mentioned the band's like for coffee, and their love for Starbucks. In preparation for Matt's cappuccino maker impression, Dan and Steve reminisced about their childhoods, with Steve chiming in, " We were all "worshipping" David Hasselhoff and his darn cool car." The next part of the show was mostly fast songs, with rock versions of Truce and Blind. For the encore, they sang the song He, which was inspired by a story of child abuse, and which is done at all of the benefits that Jars has done for the Center. They then sang Flood, and since it was not too early for Christmas music, they did the Grinch Mix of Little Drummer Boy. The crowd were on their feet for most of the night, and the sold out Hall resonated with applause. As the show came to an end, bubbles again "flooded" the stage. The 100 minute show was awesome, as it took place in both Plumb and Jars home town.
The Jars are truly gifted musicians, and are great guys with incredible hearts, especially for the "hopeless, the loveless" as referred to in He. For example, Dan and his wife Katie, in addition to most of the Jars, volunteer at the Exchange Child Abuse Prevention Center, proving that these guys not write awesome lyrics, but truly live them out. God is doing amazing things with and through the Jars, as their ministry has grown from playing in the Greenville dorms, to playing for sold out venues on their world tour. Here's hoping the Jars go platinum with the new record and double platinum on the first record.
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*Double Concert Review: 11/6/97 Akron, OH & 11/19/97 Columbus, OH
From: bw369097@oak.cats.ohiou.edu
My friends and I had the opportunity to see not one, but TWO stellar Jars of Clay shows this month. First we saw them in Akron, Ohio on Thursday, November 6, 1997. The show was at the Akron Civic Theatre, which is unique because it is made to look like an amphitheater or an elaborate garden, complete with stars and rolling clouds projected onto the ceiling.
The place was packed and the atmosphere exciting as the opening act, Plumb, took the stage. Tiffany Arbuckle and the boys put on a great, high-energy show. They played several favorites off of their popular self-titled debut, such as Unforgivable, Concrete, and Pennyless. I was really impressed with their ministry and overall performance.
After a half hour intermission after Plumb, the lights dimmed and Jars took the stage. Oddly enough, the lights STAYED dimmed for the entire first song, Weighed Down. Only a single spotlight was used to highlight band members during certain parts of the song. The effect was a good one--the lack of light let you concentrate on the words and effective ministry of the song and the talents of the band; not the band members themselves.
Directly after that, they burst into a driving rendition of Crazy Times, and the crowd went wild. I waited for Steve Mason to pluck the guitar strings with his teeth, but it didn't happen. I won't ruin the show for you readers by filling you in on the whole play list order, but I will say that there was a great mix of old and new songs.
Matt Odmark then delighted the audience with his super-accurate impression of a cappuccino machine, which preceded Good Coffee, Strong Coffee. It was worth the ticket price just to hear this song alone!;) Country Roads, the John Denver classic, was also thrown into the mix.
Some highlights of the concert were: the rocking, driving version of Blind that they broke into after singing through the first verse the normal, lullaby way; Worlds Apart (the presence of God seemed to unite everyone) Dan opened that one with a talk about pride that hit home to nearly every person there; and, of course, they played the smash-hit Flood. You may have heard of it. :)
Wednesday, November 19th, we caught the Jars show again-- this time in Columbus, Ohio. The show was at Vet's Memorial. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences in the two shows. Once again, Plumb opened, and once again, they were fantastic. Their show was almost identical to the Akron set, though. The in-between speeches and everything. That was a little disappointing honestly, because to me it made the words seem less heartfelt. However, in their defense, if I was doing that many shows, it would be difficult to say something different every time.
The Jars show had many similarities, but it also had differences. The song set was almost the same, except that Drummer Boy was thrown into the mix, to the glee of everyone. This time, I got my wish: Steve did pick the guitar with his teeth during his Crazy Times solo. Now THAT'S talent! Steve was being quite a ham during this show, much more so than in Akron. He couldn't stop laughing during the first couple of songs, which got all of the members grinning eventually! Then during the introductions, he introduced Dan as "A close personal friend of Mrs. Garrett from *The Facts of Life*." (In Akron, he introduced Dan as, "A close personal friend of Burt Reynolds.")
Both shows were great, not to sound too diplomatic! We got to speak with them after both shows, and they are very genuine and down-to-earth, eager to talk to their fans. (And funnier than you can imagine... don't put Steve and Charlie together--it's a laugh riot!) So if you can find a way to get there (we went during college finals week!) you will not regret it. (I have friends that were dragged to the concert, and left bona fide Jarheads.) And if they don't come to your area, have faith (like a child)--there's always the spring tour!
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*Concert Review : 12/5/97 Tulsa, Oklahoma
From: MattCox78@aol.com
I had been looking forward to Friday, December 5, ever since I had learned that Jars of Clay and Plumb would be performing on that day in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I had later learned that the two bands would be playing at an annual Christmas concert sponsored by KMYZ (Z104.5 the Edge), Tulsa's modern rock radio station, which just increased my anticipation. Well, the day of the show finally arrived. That afternoon I went to the band's in-store appearance at Mardel, a local Christian bookstore. I met and got the autographs of the members of the two groups, who were all very nice. Steve Mason even picked up the liner notes of my brother's Jars of Clay Platinum album and started reading some of the photograph captions aloud after signing it. What a character! He was also sporting giant sideburns to which I could not do justice trying to describe them further. After getting the autographs I spotted Aaron Sands, the band's live bassist, roaming the store and actually shopping. I went up to him and talked to him for a few minutes. After leaving the bookstore and getting something to eat, we proceeded to the historic Brady Theater in downtown Tulsa. The doors finally opened after waiting outside in the cold for a long time, and we filed inside to find a place to sit. The concert opened with Plumb's performance. I had not heard much of their music but was very impressed. They played many of the songs from their album, including Sobering and Send Angels (with Tiffany Arbuckle, the singer, wearing angel wings). The next band was Jify Trip, a popular local band who shares their name with a chain of convenience stores. They played an impressive and interesting set. Next up was Seven Mary Three, a band that has been big in the rock world for the last few years. They played a variety of songs from their two albums, including their hits Cumbersome, Lucky, Water's Edge, and Rock Crown. Finally, to top off the evening, Jars of Clay came out for their performance. They opened with Weighed Down and proceeded through a great selection of songs from their new album Much Afraid and their self-titled debut album, including Crazy Times, Overjoyed, Like a Child, Boy on a String, Love Song for a Savior, and Five Candles. They played a great version of Blind that just exploded halfway through in a great departure from the sound of the studio version of the song, highlighting Steve Mason's wonderful electric guitar work. The band also marked the season with their wonderful performance of Little Drummer Boy. In the middle of their set, Dan Haseltine explained the Biblical origin of the band's name, as he has done at every concert. This unfortunately met with a few jeers from the crowd, but they were very small in comparison to the enthusiastic cheering. He also introduced the band, and then Steve introduced Dan and said, after much hesitation, that he was a "close personal friend" of Dixie Carter from the TV program Designing Women! I need to check to see if she really is from Tulsa. Near the end of the set came Fade to Grey, starting with Charlie Lowell's beautiful organ work and a recorded drum loop, and then Aaron Sands' wonderful bass and Scott Savage's powerful drumming coming in along with everyone else for a great version of the very first Jars of Clay song. Fade to Grey led right into Matt Odmark's familiar opening to Flood, which of course drew a huge reaction from the audience. After Flood the band left and then returned for an encore of Liquid and Four Seven, capping off a great concert.
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*Concert Review: 12/6/97 Dallas, TX:
From: alleycat@airmail.net
Since this was my fourth Jars concert, I became more focused in my experience. Prior to this concert, I just tried to soak it all in. I could hardly believe I was actually "seeing" them live. But this concert was different for me. What I spent most of the time doing is listening to the harmonies. On all of the CDs, I always took note of them, and knew they were important. But at this concert, I recognized their imminent importance.
When I listen to music, I am always in awe. I can't fathom how a human could "think" of putting together chords to make such beautiful music (and sometimes such awful music :::::grin::::::::). This is exactly how I feel about the harmonies in Jars' music. In each song I listened to Steve, Matt and Charlie and each of their separate contributions vocally. It was amazing. As a kid, I remember trying to sing the melody while my older sister sang the harmony to a song, and can't imagine how they do it so well and never stumble. We certainly did.
For instance, I listened closely to "Tea and Sympathy" and imagined how completely empty the song might have sounded without the harmony. That's not to say that every song doesn't have merit without harmony. The harmony is like a completely individual instrument, like the bass. Without it, there would be a missing piece. The neatest part about the harmonies, though, is that everyone is contributing to create this one "instrument." There isn't another instrument shared so intimately.
And (not so weirdly enough) this brings to mind God, and how none of my disbelief is really warranted. It isn't a human that knows how to create an "instrument" out of a voice. It is the amazing superhuman gift that God gives individuals like Jars. That's why I sit and ponder in awe. Because it is beyond my comprehension, just as everything God does is.
We are just so lucky to get a glimpse of this gift here on earth. That's what I took home with me Saturday, December 6 in Dallas after seeing Jars for the fourth time.
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*Concert Review for Sunday Dec 7, 1997
St. Louis / American Theatre
(The last show of the "Bubble Makers Dream " tour).
From: ALLSTARBW@aol.com
I must preface to say that we are from Jefferson City, MO and traveled to St. Louis for the concert. We did not purchase tickets in advance. When we got there, we were told by the ticket lady that there were 49 tickets left and that the " will call / sales window " would not open until the doors to the show open. So we went to the end of the line with about 1600 people in front of us (The American Theater holds 1850 ) and said some silent prayers that there would be enough tickets for my daughter and my sister. At 6:30 the line started moving. We got in thanks to a gentleman who "happened" to be walking by the slowly moving line and asked us if we needed tickets. He sold us 2 at first, (for face value) then came back with another! an Angel of the Lord? (I'll always think so and testify as such!) The following is a concert review from my daughter Emily who is 10 years old... she had a great time!
Journal Entry 12-8-97
Jars of Clay Concert Review
Yesterday I went to a Jars of Clay concert with Aunt Julie and my dad. We had to wait in a long line. The wind was blowing and it was very cold. Dad says that an "angel" gave us tickets. It was really a man on the street.
We had to sit in the balcony. First we saw Plumb, a new group. The lead singer was a girl like Rebecca St. James. Jars was cool too. They played all of their songs almost. People went crazy when they played "Flood". I liked all of the songs. After the concert I got a T - shirt. It had a jar on the front of it and said Jars of Clay. On the back it had 2nd Corinthians 4 :7 written. I love it. Jars of Clay is one of the best groups!
Emily Wise
Age 10
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*Article: Songwriter's Monthly Nov. '97
(Subscriptions: 1-800-574-2986)
For those of you who don't know, Jars Of Clay is the Christian band whose self-titled album went platinum a couple of years ago. Now they have released the follow up entitled Much Afraid and are hoping for the same kind of acceptance among the "non-Christian" market.
The four members of Jars Of Clay all have different backgrounds, but the one thing that unites them is they all grew up in the church. Each member has a similar tale to tell about being in a youth group and having friends who were Christians who helped them develop their faith. By the time they were in college, Dan Haseltine, lead vocalist noted, "We were all kind of around the same place in our faith. We were all in the same bible study and had the same kind of educational experiences. I think that helped bring us closer together."
Back in '95 the band was opening for Michael W. Smith and they were playing arenas. But in between those dates they were driving all night to continue playing the smaller clubs. The single Flood caught on and suddenly the band was a hit.
When it came time to write the next album, Jars Of Clay found it was tough to find the time to write. There were a lot of outside pressures that the band didn't have to deal with when writing the first album. Plus the band now had to live up to the hit they had on their first album. It wasn't easy. Dan explained the feelings a songwriter might be tempted with after having a hit: "For some reason you think, now I've got the formula for what works and you try and emulate it. But you make it a little different. It's scary and there's so much more to it than that. Anybody who feels like they've got the formula is sadly mistaken."
One way the quartet relieved some of the pressure was by doing part of the record over in London. Getting away was a trick they picked up last year at the infamous songwriting session hosted by Miles Copeland at his castle in France. "That was a good introduction for us to co-writing... and the inspiration of being at a different place, so we decided we'd go to London." Dan remarked.
As a matter of fact, two of the songs which were co-written in France [Crazy Times and Tea And Sympathy] ended up on Jars' latest album.
Charlie Lowell, keyboard player for the band noted another way in which the band tried to get past that second album slump that so many other bands seem to fall into. Charlie said that in writing the second album, the band tried to challenge itself. One of the challenges was to sit down and try to write a traditional song, a hymn, if you will.
Haseltine commented that "Hymns of the faith are always such amazing songs because they really capture the eloquence of it all."
Another challenge the band took was to write the epic-sounding song entitled Frail. Charlie described the songwriting mindset as "We thought we'd go a little Pink Floyd."
And for everyone who says "Pink Floyd and Christian music!?" Dan explained, "Music has always been a focus of our lives. As a kid you always dream of being up on a stage as a rock star, so that dream has always been there."
The band: Jars Of Clay.
The release: Much Afraid on Silvertone Records.
The contact: Earthpots@aol.com.
The Story Behind The Song: Worlds Apart
"Worlds Apart, on the first record, took us about 6 months to write from beginning to end. It was the first time we'd really sat down and processed what was happening to us: signing a record deal, getting out of college, rebuilding our lives. We were taking so much by surprise with the interest of labels and that song was our attempt to process what had happened to us. Worlds Apart was probably the most meaningful song to us on the first album."
-Dan Haseltine
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*Interview with Dan Haseltine:
Dan: Hi, Melanie, this is Dan from Jars of Clay.
ML: Hi, how are you?
Dan: I'm doing good...
ML: I just wanted to let you know, I'm recording for broadcast use.
Dan: Okay.
ML: First of all, I want to congratulate you on Much Afraid reaching gold status.
Dan: Thank you.
ML: Is there any word on how close you are to platinum?
Dan: I have no idea. [laughs] We get little updates every now and then, but we really haven't heard much in a while.
ML: How's the tour going?
Dan: It's going really well. The crowds have been really good. Everyone's been healthy [laughs] and there's been a good response.
ML: Wonderful! Is this your first tour headlining?
Dan: No, it's our second.
ML: To talk about Much Afraid a little bit, I've actually read Hannah Hurnard's Hinds' Feet on High Places and I was wondering if there are any other songs on the album that were influenced by the book?
Dan: Well, "Overjoyed" definitely was inspired by one of the concepts in the book. And, I'm trying to think if there was any others. There was another one that actually didn't make it on the album that was a song called "Nobody loves me like you" that was taken almost directly out of that book.
ML: What is "Overjoyed" about, what concept was that?
Dan: It's basically the concept of allowing God to name us rather than allowing other people in other situations and the community around us.
ML: I know on the demo album the song "frail" didn't have any lyrics and I was wondering when "frail" did get lyrics?
Dan: It's kind of interesting. We were originally just gonna' do it as an instrumental for this record. And we just sat down one day and started going and just rehashing through it because we were trying to remember it from the one we had done on the demo. And it turns out that we just came up with a melody and it just kind of fell together. So we said, "Okay, let's put words to it and see how it goes."
ML: Well, I think it came out really good!
Dan: Thanks!
ML: Also, "Weighed Down" goes back to a lot more of the acoustic guitars that showed up on the first album and now the tour is named after a phrase from that song - is that song a group favorite?
Dan: Not really. I think it was just sort of an interesting image. The song was actually kind of more from the hidden track that was on the first record. And we kinda rearranged it a little bit and put words to it and created it into a full song as well.
ML: So, it's a continuation of Four Seven?
Dan: Kind of, yeah.
ML: Seatbelt Tuba - where did you get the name for that disc?
Dan: [laughs] Let's see, Steve. Well, we were coming back, we had done a run of shows in Europe, in London. Actually, we were recording the record, sorry, and we were in London and we had to come back and play a couple of shows in Canada and then go back to London right after that. And in the whole process we probably got about 5 or 6 hours of sleep in about 3 to 4 days. And so, on the trip back, Steve's kind of always just saying stuff, and it gets a little crazy sometimes and that was just one of the things that he happened to say after being without sleep for a couple of days. We thought it was kind of funny, so we kept it.
ML: What's the significance of the cow in the "Crazy Times" video?
Dan: [laughs] There is none!
ML: Back to the self-titled album, the song "Worlds Apart" is a fan favorite, and what is that song about?
Dan: It's a song about pride and about being broken down and, I guess, searching for humility and just about how difficult that process is when you're having to break down the things that you've known and the things that you've believed about yourself and really become less of a leader and more of a servant in that sense.
ML: How long did that take to write? I heard it took longer than usual.
Dan: Yeah, most of the songs from the first album took about, I think, the longest, other than that one, took about 2 weeks and that song took us close to six months to write.
ML: Is there a reason why?
Dan: Yeah, I think it was the most transparent of songs on the first record. It was written in a very difficult time for the band - when we were in a lot of transition. We were just learning how to do what we were now being asked to do. And I think it just dealt with a lot of concepts that we wanted to handle it very well and write it well. So, we didn't want to just kind of throw some lyrics down and say, "Okay, this is the song." So, it just took us a lot longer to do.
ML: It's sort of a reflection of when you guys got down to Nashville?
Dan: Yeah, kind of. It's really just sort of a statement about how our lives were just kind of pulled apart. You know, we were college students, thought we'd be in school for four years, had made our friends, and were living fairly securely. And then everything changed within a matter of months. And then we were in a town that we didn't know, with a bunch of people we didn't know. It was kind of a commentary on that whole situation.
ML: And Tiffany from Plumb sings that with you on tour?
Dan: Yes.
ML: What is the song "Liquid" trying to say to listeners?
Dan: "Liquid" is really just a song about the crucifixion. It's a song that speaks of the reasons why Christ would die on a cross, why anyone would choose that kind of sacrifice.
ML: And "Sinking", I heard, is about addictions?
Dan: Mm-hmm.
ML: What kind...I don't understand.
Dan: It's based mostly out of alcoholism, but for the most part it deals with addictions in general and denial and working through that place. It's about going beyond that and realizing that you do have a problem, I guess.
ML: I heard you guys got stuck in the snow a few weeks ago and you were stranded at a gas station?
Dan: Yes! [laughs] Yeah, we were in Colorado for this big snow storm. We were on our bus and so we were really fine. There were about 5 to 10 foot snow drifts on the highway and so they were pulling people out of cars and getting people down, and they said, "Well, there's a hotel down the street so we need you to leave your vehicle." So, we're like, "Oh, all right." Well, we get down to this little gas station where they were keeping people until they brought them to the hotel and someone said, "Well, there's no more rooms or anything available at the hotel so you'll have to stay here." So, basically, for the next 8 hours we sat in this little convenience store sipping instant cappuccino and eating beef jerky.
ML: Oh, yummy.
Dan: Yeah.
ML: I hear the band is headed overseas to Australia. Is this your first time there?
Dan: Yes. We're very excited. We're starting an international tour in about mid-January and that's gonna' take us to places like Australia, Japan, Singapore, and most of Europe.
ML: How do Aaron and Scott fit into the picture? Will they ever become official members of the band?
Dan: They sort of are. It's just a different aspect of what we do. They're not really part of the writing process. But as far as playing out, they're part of the Jars of Clay touring band. So, they really are members of the group.
ML: Do you guys get a Thanksgiving break in all of this?
Dan: A couple days, yeah and we're very thankful. Right now we're in Bristol, TN, which is not terribly far from Nashville and we're all kind of chomping at the bit because we want to be home so bad! [laughs] But, we'll be home in a couple days.
ML: That's good. Is there still a testimonial during the concert?
Dan: We explain a lot of the songs, I mean that's probably most of the testimony that we've ever given. I think it's just important to share, you know, like before certain songs I'll explain what the songs are about and I think, from that, people are able to pull something more than if we just sang for the entire show. But it's really not getting up there for half an hour, it usually is just a couple of minutes of me explaining one of the songs.
ML: Because I know Matt used to do one.
Dan: Yeah, Matt. Wow. That's a long time ago. When we first started, Matt would get up and share a couple things and we've just sort of morphed that into being able to focus it a little bit more on the songs. Because a lot of times, what that really came out of was as an opening band that we really didn't get to share much, so we kind of had to let our songs do, you know, if there was something that we really felt we really wanted to say from stage or communicate we really had to work it into our songs or make it just part of a song explanation for time's sake. And I think we've just found that, over the course of a couple years, that that's worked really well. And it's really been a little bit more relevant to people when we've been able to say, "Well, this is a song that deals with this issue and this is what we think about it and here's the song."
ML: I've heard the term lifestyle ministry used a few times. What is a lifestyle ministry? Is that a term you guys use?
Dan: I think so. I mean, lifestyle ministry really is, basically, instead of being somebody that has to just say a bunch of stuff, it's living out your faith basically. It's saying, "Okay, I am a Christian" and not just saying this is what you need to do to be a Christian. It's actually living that way. There's been a lot of resurgence of people who have really felt that. I mean, Christianity is something that really affects your life. It affects every aspect of who you are and it changes the way you think about things and if you really are trying to live that lifestyle, then it's gonna' show. And you really don't have to say anything and it's not really necessarily about preaching to people, it's just about people being able to live or people being able to see your example of the way you live and being able to go, "Okay, that's something that I might be interested in, you know, is living that kind of a lifestyle. So, it's more about living than it is about preaching as far as using words.
ML: You guys are born-again Christians? Is that some of you or all of you?
Dan: Yeah, it's all of us.
ML: Steve Camp attacked the Christian Music community last month with his "Call for Reformation for the CCMI." Do you know anything about that?
Dan: Not too much. We've heard, like, just little tidbits of things, but I don't really have enough information, I haven't seen any of the literature or anything to be able to make any kind of statement about it, I guess.
ML: Because I know that one of the things in there that he said is, and this a direct quote, "Christian music has become a Christ-less, watered-down, God-as-my-girlfriend kind of thing." And I was wondering how you feel about those kind of statements when you have songs like "Love song for a Savior" out.
Dan: Well, I think music is personal. And I think for us that song has been something that we've found a lot of peace in and there's a lot of people that have been affected by that song and most of those songs. You really just have to know who you are and what you're doing. Everyone's always going to have opinions about who they think you should be, and if you don't know who you are, then there's a thousand people that are gonna' tell you who you are. So, I think in dealing with things like that, some people just have a different take on what Christian music is and it's just important to be relevant. Certain songs are going to appeal to different people ad it's just important to see that, in the scope of things, there's a broader sense of using Christianity than just in worship music and in church.
ML: Back to the tour, are you going to sing the song "Fly Farther"?
Dan: We haven't been because it didn't make it on the record, unfortunately. We did a recorded version of it. And, actually, I don't know if you're familiar with Allison Krause?
ML: No.
Dan: Well, she's a bluegrass vocalist. We recorded the song with her and it came out really, really good. But just for the sake of the amount of songs on the record we couldn't put it on. So we've kind of stopped playing it in shows for a while until we figure out what we're going to do with it.
ML: I heard "Drummer Boy" is going to be re-released.
Dan: Yes.
ML: After Thanksgiving?
Dan: I believe so.
ML: What does the band do for bible study on the road?
Dan: We usually try to get together if we have a day off right around a Sunday or something like that. If it is Sunday, then we'll take it. But if not, we'll just try to find a time where we can all kind of get together and just kind of hang out and find out where each other is at. Most of the time, it's just that we have to find our own time during the day, just to be quiet and gain some perspective and, hopefully, spend some time reading and things like that. That's just important, I think, keeping us focused and helping us to continue to recognize where we should be and just to learn. It's important because there are so many things vying for your attention out on the road and I think when you have a chance just to be able to sit and be quiet for a while a study, it's really, it's just something that helps to give us better perspective. Usually it's a daily thing, we just have to find the time.
ML: We're a college radio station and I just wanted to know if you have any advice for students pursuing their faith in a world that doesn't make it easy to be a Christian?
Dan: Yeah, I think it's just important to ask questions. Don't be afraid of not knowing or doubting or struggling because, I think what we've found, and I think this is kind of a basis for a lot of our music. We want people to ask questions. You're not going to learn, you're not going to grow, and it is in those places where we struggle that we truly find what we're made of and what faith truly is and who God really is under those kind of circumstances. So, I think it's important to be able to embrace some of that struggle and also, just to ask lots of questions.
[Then there's some stuff with Dan recording an ID for the station.]
ML: Thank you so much for your time.
Dan: I appreciate it. Thanks, Mel.
ML: Bye.
Dan: Bye now.
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*Article: The Tennessean 11/23/97
by Tom Roland:
You couldn't help but notice Jars of Clay on a flight to San Diego last August.
Three of the band members--particularly guitarist/bass player Steve Mason, whose hair was a patchwork bright red and blue dyes--were laughing and goofing through much of the trip, as if they were still teenagers. Lead singer Dan Haseltine sat rather quietly several rows in front of them, sometimes talking with a road manager-type, but other times somewhere in thought.
It is, a couple of associates have said, fairly characteristic. Haseltine is admittedly an introvert among extroverts. And he's also the one who is inclined to tend to business.
"I'm the oldest in the band--not that it means that I'm that much more mature," Haseltine, 24, says over the phone from Baltimore where JOC is in the midst of the Bubblemaker's Dream Tour. "But right from the conception of Jars of Clay, I've been dealing with it from the business side before we had management. I tried to start doing some of those things that a manager would probably do, so I get into that mode now, even when we've got all those people working for us.
"So I probably spend less time just horsing around with them and little more time dealing with the business aspects. I guess in one sense it's like that, but other times we all carry our own in terms of acting like little kids."
Jars, which performs in Nashville on Monday, probably need time to revert to child-like moments, because they've gone through a grueling period that's practically forced musical maturity upon them. Thanks in great part to the mainstream rock success of Flood, they played 300 dates in 1996, helping them to improve their live show dynamics and allowing them to hone many of the songs from their debut album.
You can hear the maturity on their follow-up album, Much Afraid. It's more focused musically, sewing threads of Beatles influences into a melodic tapestry that features some textural experiments. But these experiments are fairly subtle, leaving the songs to live or die on their own merit, through the innocence of Haseltine's breathy vocals.
Haseltine uses mature words like responsibility and initiative when talking about the album. And, as the title attests, much of the album tackles a frail human emotion: fear.
"It seems most of society does things out of fear," Haseltine says. "There's a few people that really take initiative and do things out of their love for something or someone. But it's mostly reactionary. We react to so many things, we don't usually initiate."
Thus, the characters in Much Afraid are wounded, searching for answers for their fear of failing, or their fear of being revealed. In the title track, the singer reaches out to God for the strength to overcome his fears. In Crazy Times, the first single, he mistakenly reaches out to someone else whose foundation may--or may not--be stronger that his own.
"Fear has it's place," Haseltine admits.
But, Much Afraid seems to tell us, what you do with it says much about the individual.
Fear is something Jars faced up to in making the record, which says a little about the band. When they interviewed producers, they asked each one how they would handle individual songs. Most suggested specific guitar sounds, or outside drummers they thought might enhance the band.
They were answers that could have easily solved Jars' fears and made the record process easier.
But the band was more inclined to side with Stephen Lipson, who had no easy answers. When he heard the songs, they asked him what he'd do, and he shrugged in all honesty: " Well, I don't know."
"That was basically what we were looking for," Haseltine says,"because he goes into the studio and just likes to experiment and panic with the band until we come out with a record. And I think that was kind of a creative freedom we wanted to have in the midst of recording this new record."
Jars, which includes Haseltine, Mason, guitarist Matt Odmark and keyboard player Charlie Lowell, had planned to make the album in England, but after touring during most of 1996, they decided to spend more time at home. They compromised with Lipson, recording the basic tracks at Secret Sound in the Tennessee hills, and recording the overdubs at Lipson's studio near downtown London.
In the process, some serious Beatles influences show through: George Harrison-like guitars, Day in the Life strings, craftily layered sounds and imprecise lyrics.
"I think some of the influence was [already] there," Haseltine suggests, "but I think it was really amplified when we went to London. We got to take a tour of Abbey Road studios and do that kind of stuff, so I think in the back of our minds it was there. So it just came through in the record."
Like the Beatles' later songs, Much Afraid works on several levels. You can take the shallow route and hear it simply as a project with a cool musical groove. Or you can take the mature route and look for the deeper meaning, the thoughts that coincide with the fears Jars are exploring.
Either way works, though the light-hearted way, at least for the short run, is easier.
As the band says in Frail, "Blessed are the shallow/Depth they'll never find."
But the deeper search, though more painful, is more rewarding in the long run.
"I think when you start exploring yourself, and why you do the things you do, it's a very, very scary place," Haseltine notes. "That's what I was speaking of [in Frail], that thing where people don't choose to go deeper. In one sense it's a cynical statement that they're very blessed, because they'll never find depth, and depth is when you really have to deal with the struggles and try to understand where you are."
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*Prayer Requests:
Please remember in your prayers the Greenville College community. That school suffered a serious fire in one of the Residence Halls, a fire which killed Greenville student Joel Pierce and destroyed the Hall. Pierce was to be married in just two weeks. Please pray that God's presence will be part of that community in the coming days.
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From: WorldsApart@webtv.net
Hello to all of you.
I know this is selfish of me to post this in this newsletter, but I really need to do it. I need the prayers of my fellow Christians to help me overcome my fear. So, what's the problem? I'm alright, for the most part. But, the devil is apparently really angry with me at the moment, and he's giving me a terribly hard time - with mostly everything. I have no strength, no motivation, and I'm sick (again). I don't know what's wrong with me this time, and I'm petrified to go to the doctor. My migraines have increased for the first time in a long while. I'm congested a lot. My entire body seems to ache. I'm always tired, but I have insomnia almost every night. I'm having stomach cramps all the time, etc. I'm so scared. I don't know how to explain how frightened I am. (Talk about being much afraid!) I really need your prayers. Any advice is also welcome.
Take care and may God continue to bless you all!
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From: kalyb@HOTMAIL.COM
We just found out this weekend that the pastor from church camp has been diagnosed with colon cancer. The cancer has apparently spread to his liver and the doctors are giving him 9 months to 2 years to live. His wife is also my dad's second cousin. Please pray for him and for his family and friends. We also just found out this weekend that my grandpa has asbestosis, which affects the lungs and breathing. please pray for him also. Thanks so much! We really appreciate it.
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From: anonymous
I have a major prayer request. My father is dying of inoperable pancreatic cancer. My mom would like him to live through Christmas, so I ask you to pray for that. But more importantly, he does not know Jesus. I ask you to particularly pray for him in this way. Everyone has a physical body which eventually stops working, but I would like to be able to hang out with him for all eternity. Thank you in advance for your prayers.
Christen
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From: beenaj@juno.com
Just this past weekend, our family decided to attend our cousin's wedding. Our family being very close to each other, wanted so much to be there. But God's plans are not our plans.
Four hours away from home, but a few precious minutes close to the hospital in Pennsylvania, my family was involved in a car accident. Our group consisted of one van, carrying my immediate family of six, plus the young daughter of a family friend. Her father was driving the car, which my grandparents, aunt and her father's wife occupied, when the accident took place. It was a very bad accident and many of them ended up in the hospital, with my friends father clinically brain dead. But we know that our great God and Physician can heal! Please pray for this family. He is a wonderful and loving friend, father and husband. If God is to take him home now, let it be according to His will and not our own. But pray that whatever God does, his wife and family is comforted in knowing that God is the Healer of broken hearts and minds, and Mender of lives.
Thank you
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From: asecc@atlanticvideosystems.com
I have a friend who is in much need of prayer. Three years ago she was raped by her best friend's stepfather. Ever since then she has been having terrible flashbacks and relapses, and has been in and out of school and the hospital. This year, her senior year of high school, has been the worst for her and she has not been in school at all and it looks as though she will not be coming back at all this year. Please pray that God will be with her and will provide some relief for these terrible flashbacks.
Thank you for your prayers,
Eric
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From: galahad77@juno.com
I need your prayers because, without even realizing it, I lost my faith in God. I've come to depend too much on people, however Christian (or non-Christian) they are, to give me the answers and solutions I need. I've forgotten how to search myself for the answers I have, and I've lost my faith in God that He will give me the answers...eventually. I can no longer think for myself, I've become too dependent upon others...I need help and prayers. More than anything else, though, prayers. Please, do not offer me any words of encouragement, because I'll just latch on to you to replace those that I'm trying to live without running to for every little problem I have. Likewise, unless you feel as though the Spirit is directing you to (who knows better than God?), please don't even write me to see how I'm doing. All I need, and all I want right now, for my own good, is your prayers.
Thank you,
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From: jamiel@juno.com
A member of our church, her name is Mona, has been stricken ill with cancer. She has had it for many years, and it went into remission for a little while, but then when she was pregnant with her second child, they discovered a tumor. After she gave birth to her son, she went right into treatment. Right now, she is extremely weak, and they had recently found a tumor that was really close to her spinal cord. Fortunately, it is not in a position that would give her paralysis. Also her blood cell count is extremely low, and because of all the medications, and radiation treatments that she is on, it has somehow become difficult for the hospital to find an exact match for her blood. Through all of this she has been extremely strong both mentally spiritually, as also her husband. She would continually go to Sunday worship every week, but recently because things have been so bad, she hasn't been able to come. Please pray for a remission, blood match, and strength. Also pray for her family, she has a daughter who is six years old, and a 24 month old son. Also pray for her husband, because he has such a burden to carry. Thank you so very much.
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From: ZBeachgal2@aol.com
I just haven't been the same since my grandma died almost a year ago. Lately I have been down about it, and just wanted to go for alcohol, but I have wonderful friends who prevented me...one of whom is my roommate. I am not looking forward to the one year anniversary of when she went into the hospital (Jan 13), or when she died (Feb 3). Keep me in prayer because this is a huge step I need to take.
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