EARTHEN VESSELS -- THE JARS OF CLAY NEWSLETTER
****************************************************************************
* *
* EARTHEN VESSELS -- THE JARS OF CLAY NEWSLETTER *
* *
****************************************************************************
* *
* BACK ISSUES COURTESY OF ANDY LOWELL, EDITOR *
* *
****************************************************************************
* *
* EARTHEN VESSELS IS PUBLISHED VIA E-MAIL ONLY AND IS AVAILABLE FREE OF *
* CHARGE VIA THE INTERNET BY E-MAILING EARTHPOTS@AOL.COM AND REQUESTING *
* YOUR SUBSCRIPTION *
* *
****************************************************************************
E A R T H E N V E S S E L S
The Official Jars of Clay Email News
Volume 1
CONTENTS:
*Introduction
*Summer tour dates
*Fall tour with PFR
*AOL News Brief
*Releases
*Concert Review
*Comments
*Memorabilia
*Message from Steve
*Billboard Single Review
*Charting the Singles
*Live Set List
*Concert Review: 4/12/95 Shawnee, OK
*Syndicate Article: Breaking Jars of Clay
*History of Jars
**************************************************************************************
*Introduction:
Hello and welcome to the Jars of Clay email news! We all look forward to many
fun discussions about the band and their ministry. All comments,criticism and
questions are welcome! I'll do my best to include anything people send me. If
you know of anyone else who would like to recieve this publication, please
send me their email addresses. We are now at 80 subsribers! All
correspondence will be answered. If there are problems with you recieving
any issues or wanting back issues,
please email me and I'll do my best to provide what is needed. If you
terminate your email account, please unsubscribe first so the mail doesn't
all bounce and come back. Thanks!
In this introductory issue, I have tried to include a sampling of what I know
of the band and how everything is going for them, I hope it provides some
insight for those of you with questions. If there are more, I'll email
them and we'll do what we can to answer them together. The guys are online,
so will be contributing to many issues, but unfortunately the best I could do
for this
one is a copy of a message from Steve left on AOL in their folder a while
back.
********************************************************************************
*America Online News Brief:
There is now a folder where you can post your comments on Jars and read
others' here
on AOL. It is located under Christianity Online section, then under Yakety
Yak-Student Talk, then go to Music, movies, etc. and there is a Jars folder
located there. There are about 70 postings now and it is one of the most
active folders I have seen in that area. Check it out! Also, take note that
Matt, Dan, Steve, Charlie and Scott (who plays live drums) are all online.
You can reach
them at clayjars or they have individual screen names: Pdljmpr7 (Charlie),
IDrumToo
(Scott), Snack75 (Steve), PlumbersC (Dan), and ODIE74 (Matt). Remember they
keep a busy schedule but they welcome your comments and they'll do what they
can to respond!
********************************************************************************
*Releases:
So far, Flood, the first release, has reached number 4 on the CHR (Christian
Hit Radio) charts. It has been released for radio on a cd that contains a
gatefold cover and has the original version and a shorter edit. There is also
a video for
Flood that is currently on the ccm-tv playlist for Saturday nights (midnight
on the
Family Channel) and includes artistic shots of the guys flailing in the water
and walking around an old mansion, and Dan throwing mud all over himself.
Love Song for
a Savior has very recently been released and hasn't had time to climb the
charts yet as far as I'm aware. The song Liquid has not been released for
airplay but
can be found on last month's 99 cent Release tape (designed to accompany
Release magazine May/June '95 issue). There is also a compilation cd
available "free" (+P&H) from ccm-tv, advertised in Shout. Around Christmas
time, there will be a 3-song EP with 2 Christmas songs (Little Drummer Boy
and one other) and also a live or acoustic version of "He" or another song
off the debut disc. Plans to release future songs are as of now unkown.
Apparently, they are now playing Flood on the local Nashville *secular* radio
station! Please pray that this ministry will continue!
********************************************************************************
*Concert Review: 6/3/95: Kettering, OH
Date: 95-06-07 17:14:23 EDT
From: MDEEL@nova.wright.edu
Well, what I thought of the concert. It was AWESOME! Truthfully, I will
say that I enjoyed it more than the previous one, due to the fact that I knew
the songs. As a matter of fact, Steve mentioned to me that he saw me singing
along and appreciated it. :) I really think that good things are ahead for
the guys. And I will say
that I appreciate how they took the time to talk to everyone that wished to
speak to them. That means so much to people. I think it lets them know that
the guys really care that they are there and that they appreciate them
listening to their music.
********************************************************************************
*Internet Message
From: sl956092@oak.cats.ohiou.edu (Shannon Lee Lewis)
Date: Tue, 23 May 1995 05:13:01 GMT
Message-ID: <D90MHp.2sA@boss.cs.ohiou.edu>
i'd have to agree with the original person who posted this-
this is good, and i've only heard 1 song...
i dislike almost anything "poppy",
so how did they do it...
well, their demo was good...kinda a bit "scchapman"for my tastes, but...
then i hear the title track of their new release...
then i rewound it and heard it again
and again
and again
and again...
this has NEVER happened to me before...
they perfectly blend alternative, folk, dance, and pop...with violins and
all!
it helps that their producer is an x member of King Crimson...well,
they're back together now, so i guess not...
all i've got to say is
WOW!
shannon
********************************************************************************
*Memorabilia
Due to the many questions I've had about finding Jars memoriblia, here is a
quick listing of what they have available at their live shows. There is not
currently a mail order system, so you must purchase these at live shows or
have someone who is going purchase them for you. Here's what's out:
Shirt #1: Album cover front, tour dates with PFR, back (white) $15 sold out!
Shirt #2: Jars of Clay written with Jar on front, II Cor. 4:7 on back (earthy
offwhite color) $15
Shirt #3: Coming out soon! Don't have details.
Caps: white with Green Jar embroidered, or Green with white Jar embroidered.
$12
Poster: This is the promo picture of Jars standing/crouching in the old house
with peices of broken jars on the floor. $5
Poster #2: small promo poster that says "choice of a new generation" and has
a Jar on a white background. $2 but the guys have been known to give them
away...
CD's available at all live shows for $13.
8 x 12 promo picture, standing in a field, $2 each.
The press kit includes a cardboard fold-out jar, a "beatlesque" pose of the
guys faces,
and a recycled-looking guide to all the songs, etc. and interview segments.
********************************************************************************
*Message from Steve:
Steve posted the following note in their folder on AOL. Thought I'd reproduce
it here for your interest.
Subj: Re:A fan!
Date: 95-05-31 23:15:24 EDT
From: Clayjars
Thanks for posting! You asked some good questions which I would love to
respond to.....
How do you write songs?
Musically,our songwriting usually starts on the acoustic guitar. Then comes
the piano or hammond organ, and that followed by melody and lyric. All the
lyrics, with the exception of a few, have been penned by Dan, our lead
singer. Then we'll discuss what kinds of percussion, drum samples, and live
drums we would like to have in the song. Finally, other instruments are
added- on the album, Ron Huff did two string arrangements, and we had various
other session players handle cello, fiddle, penny whistle, oboe, and
others...We felt very blessed to work with such talented people. From a
spiritual standpoint, Dan has referred to Max Lucado, John Fischer, and
Brennan Manning as writers that have influenced his lyrics. Above all, we
believe that all musical creativity is divinely inspired by God. :)
What is the concert setup?
The live band is composed of:
Matt Odmark- acoustic guitar, bgv
Charlie Lowell- piano, organ, bgv
Dan Haseltine- vocals
Scott Savage- drums, percussion
Stephen Mason- acoustic guitar, bgv
We also run some drumbeats and samples you would hear on the album on an ADAT
machine. Also, for simply financial reasons, we run bass guitar on the ADAT.
This is temporary, because our desire is to have a bass player, but we are a
young band, and don't have the $$$$$$ to hire one. :) --all vocals, guitars,
drums and keys are LIVE.
Who is not in the picture but given album credit?
The man you refer to is Tim Smith, Dan's uncle, who played all the live drums
on the album. He is an extremely talented drummer, but, not a member of the
group. For concerts, Scott Savage plays with us- he's an amazing drummer,
and he's got a great vibe live.
How have you been received?
We have been amazed at the things God is doing with the group. We have had
the opportunity to go on tour with PFR, and we'll be going back out with them
in the fall. Overall, the response has been encouraging! Some have shared
how a song has touched them or spoken to them in a way that draws them closer
to God....that is what's truly important to us...'cuz we realize this "band
thing" will fade away, but the only things left standing are the things of
eternity. :) It's really important that we stay focused on things of
eternity- don't let me mislead you into thinking that's easy!....please pray
for us!
Lastly, thanks so much for your encouragement and your questions...we
love to answer them.
God's Peace to you,
Stephen
(Snack 75)
ii cor. 4:7
********************************************************************************
*Billboard review of Flood:
This is from Billboard's Single Reviews column, from the May 27, 1995 issue:
Jars of Clay: Flood (3:15)
Producer: Adrian Belew
Publishers: Bridge Building/Pogostick, BMI
Essential 5012 (CD single)
This quartet cryptically takes its name from the Bible verse 2 Corinthians
4:7. While the music is not exactly religious, it is definitely
inspirational. The lyrics are a celebration of life, as an acoustic chorus
and compassionate vocals unearth a handsome harmony. Modern rock radio
should check out this Adrian Belew production.
*****************************************************************
*Charting the Singles:
It is rumoured 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.
******************************************************************************
*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 Saviour
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. 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
******************************************************************************
*Syndicate Article: Breaking Jars of Clay (by Mark Smeby)
Taking advantage of the beautiful spring-time 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."
********************************************************************************
*History of Jars:
I have included below an article by the youth leader (Jack
Cleveland) of Charlie and Matt, to help explain the changes in the band. Jack
printed this in the church bulletin to enlighten the congregation on what
exactly took place. It has been edited so that it won't take an hour to
read, and I hope that it sheds some light on what the guys have gone through
in the past year and a half or so. Enjoy!
"Jars of Clay began with Charlie Lowell and Dan Haseltine, two college
sophomores who had a vision to be parts of a band. Charlie, whose major at
Greenville College was CCM, had studied II Cor 4:7 in high school, and he
liked the Jars of Clay title as a name for a band. As this came together, it
evolved into a four-piece group with Charlie on keys, Dan Haseltine on
vocals, Steve Mason on guitar and Matt Bronleewe on guitar. They performed on
campus and surrounding areas and were very well recieved. Last April they
submitted a demo tape to the judges of the Gospel Music Association, and they
were selected to be one of ten bands slatd to compete in the Association's
Spotlight '94 talent competition, attended by a number of Music Industry
people. Jars of Clay ended up taking the competition by storm - essentially,
GMA was naming them the best unsigned band in the country. Their achievement
naturally led to a flurry of attention: many of the top record companies in
the Christian music industry wanted to sign this talented foursome.
The group's members decided to put their college educations on hold, and
they began to explore the possiblity of moving to Nashville and committing
themselves full-time to the band and its potential ministry. One of the
band's members decided to leave the group at this time to pursue his business
degree, and Charlie thought of his friend Matt Odmark as a new guitarist
(they had played in a Christian band from 1987 to 1990 called Simple Truth).
Matt had just completed his second year at the University of Rochester. He
was serving the Church as an active volunteer youth leader and he also gave
himself away to the kids as a leader with the Gates-Chili Young Life Club.
After praying for 2 months over Charlie's offer, Matt decided to accept and
move to Nashville.
Since that time, Jars of Clay has had an exciting ministry in Nashville
and around the country. They have finished an 8-week tour with PFR and there
is a massive marketing plan in the works designed to keep the group current
with the American public.
What touches me is not the hype and publicity, but their amazing love
for their God. Even the group's name makes it clear that these guys know
whatever success they have is theirs only because God has chosen to bless
them. And their constant desire is to challenge people to consider Jesus
Christ as the key to the abundant life we all seek. In a recent phone
conversation, Matt told me, "This is about the ministry of Jesus Christ, and
if it stops being that, I will be done." Matt and Charlie (as well as Dan and
Steve) have learned in their 21 years that life is about serving and loving
Jesus Christ. That is what they want to be about.
God is doing great things through the ministry of Jars of Clay and their
lives. Please pray for them that their focus might stay on Jesus, and that
their ministry would be fruitful.
********************************************************************************
AMEN!
* *
* EARTHEN VESSELS -- THE JARS OF CLAY NEWSLETTER *
* *
****************************************************************************
* *
* BACK ISSUES COURTESY OF ANDY LOWELL, EDITOR *
* *
****************************************************************************
* *
* EARTHEN VESSELS IS PUBLISHED VIA E-MAIL ONLY AND IS AVAILABLE FREE OF *
* CHARGE VIA THE INTERNET BY E-MAILING EARTHPOTS@AOL.COM AND REQUESTING *
* YOUR SUBSCRIPTION *
* *
****************************************************************************
E A R T H E N V E S S E L S
The Official Jars of Clay Email News
Volume 1
CONTENTS:
*Introduction
*Summer tour dates
*Fall tour with PFR
*AOL News Brief
*Releases
*Concert Review
*Comments
*Memorabilia
*Message from Steve
*Billboard Single Review
*Charting the Singles
*Live Set List
*Concert Review: 4/12/95 Shawnee, OK
*Syndicate Article: Breaking Jars of Clay
*History of Jars
**************************************************************************************
*Introduction:
Hello and welcome to the Jars of Clay email news! We all look forward to many
fun discussions about the band and their ministry. All comments,criticism and
questions are welcome! I'll do my best to include anything people send me. If
you know of anyone else who would like to recieve this publication, please
send me their email addresses. We are now at 80 subsribers! All
correspondence will be answered. If there are problems with you recieving
any issues or wanting back issues,
please email me and I'll do my best to provide what is needed. If you
terminate your email account, please unsubscribe first so the mail doesn't
all bounce and come back. Thanks!
In this introductory issue, I have tried to include a sampling of what I know
of the band and how everything is going for them, I hope it provides some
insight for those of you with questions. If there are more, I'll email
them and we'll do what we can to answer them together. The guys are online,
so will be contributing to many issues, but unfortunately the best I could do
for this
one is a copy of a message from Steve left on AOL in their folder a while
back.
********************************************************************************
*America Online News Brief:
There is now a folder where you can post your comments on Jars and read
others' here
on AOL. It is located under Christianity Online section, then under Yakety
Yak-Student Talk, then go to Music, movies, etc. and there is a Jars folder
located there. There are about 70 postings now and it is one of the most
active folders I have seen in that area. Check it out! Also, take note that
Matt, Dan, Steve, Charlie and Scott (who plays live drums) are all online.
You can reach
them at clayjars or they have individual screen names: Pdljmpr7 (Charlie),
IDrumToo
(Scott), Snack75 (Steve), PlumbersC (Dan), and ODIE74 (Matt). Remember they
keep a busy schedule but they welcome your comments and they'll do what they
can to respond!
********************************************************************************
*Releases:
So far, Flood, the first release, has reached number 4 on the CHR (Christian
Hit Radio) charts. It has been released for radio on a cd that contains a
gatefold cover and has the original version and a shorter edit. There is also
a video for
Flood that is currently on the ccm-tv playlist for Saturday nights (midnight
on the
Family Channel) and includes artistic shots of the guys flailing in the water
and walking around an old mansion, and Dan throwing mud all over himself.
Love Song for
a Savior has very recently been released and hasn't had time to climb the
charts yet as far as I'm aware. The song Liquid has not been released for
airplay but
can be found on last month's 99 cent Release tape (designed to accompany
Release magazine May/June '95 issue). There is also a compilation cd
available "free" (+P&H) from ccm-tv, advertised in Shout. Around Christmas
time, there will be a 3-song EP with 2 Christmas songs (Little Drummer Boy
and one other) and also a live or acoustic version of "He" or another song
off the debut disc. Plans to release future songs are as of now unkown.
Apparently, they are now playing Flood on the local Nashville *secular* radio
station! Please pray that this ministry will continue!
********************************************************************************
*Concert Review: 6/3/95: Kettering, OH
Date: 95-06-07 17:14:23 EDT
From: MDEEL@nova.wright.edu
Well, what I thought of the concert. It was AWESOME! Truthfully, I will
say that I enjoyed it more than the previous one, due to the fact that I knew
the songs. As a matter of fact, Steve mentioned to me that he saw me singing
along and appreciated it. :) I really think that good things are ahead for
the guys. And I will say
that I appreciate how they took the time to talk to everyone that wished to
speak to them. That means so much to people. I think it lets them know that
the guys really care that they are there and that they appreciate them
listening to their music.
********************************************************************************
*Internet Message
From: sl956092@oak.cats.ohiou.edu (Shannon Lee Lewis)
Date: Tue, 23 May 1995 05:13:01 GMT
Message-ID: <D90MHp.2sA@boss.cs.ohiou.edu>
i'd have to agree with the original person who posted this-
this is good, and i've only heard 1 song...
i dislike almost anything "poppy",
so how did they do it...
well, their demo was good...kinda a bit "scchapman"for my tastes, but...
then i hear the title track of their new release...
then i rewound it and heard it again
and again
and again
and again...
this has NEVER happened to me before...
they perfectly blend alternative, folk, dance, and pop...with violins and
all!
it helps that their producer is an x member of King Crimson...well,
they're back together now, so i guess not...
all i've got to say is
WOW!
shannon
********************************************************************************
*Memorabilia
Due to the many questions I've had about finding Jars memoriblia, here is a
quick listing of what they have available at their live shows. There is not
currently a mail order system, so you must purchase these at live shows or
have someone who is going purchase them for you. Here's what's out:
Shirt #1: Album cover front, tour dates with PFR, back (white) $15 sold out!
Shirt #2: Jars of Clay written with Jar on front, II Cor. 4:7 on back (earthy
offwhite color) $15
Shirt #3: Coming out soon! Don't have details.
Caps: white with Green Jar embroidered, or Green with white Jar embroidered.
$12
Poster: This is the promo picture of Jars standing/crouching in the old house
with peices of broken jars on the floor. $5
Poster #2: small promo poster that says "choice of a new generation" and has
a Jar on a white background. $2 but the guys have been known to give them
away...
CD's available at all live shows for $13.
8 x 12 promo picture, standing in a field, $2 each.
The press kit includes a cardboard fold-out jar, a "beatlesque" pose of the
guys faces,
and a recycled-looking guide to all the songs, etc. and interview segments.
********************************************************************************
*Message from Steve:
Steve posted the following note in their folder on AOL. Thought I'd reproduce
it here for your interest.
Subj: Re:A fan!
Date: 95-05-31 23:15:24 EDT
From: Clayjars
Thanks for posting! You asked some good questions which I would love to
respond to.....
How do you write songs?
Musically,our songwriting usually starts on the acoustic guitar. Then comes
the piano or hammond organ, and that followed by melody and lyric. All the
lyrics, with the exception of a few, have been penned by Dan, our lead
singer. Then we'll discuss what kinds of percussion, drum samples, and live
drums we would like to have in the song. Finally, other instruments are
added- on the album, Ron Huff did two string arrangements, and we had various
other session players handle cello, fiddle, penny whistle, oboe, and
others...We felt very blessed to work with such talented people. From a
spiritual standpoint, Dan has referred to Max Lucado, John Fischer, and
Brennan Manning as writers that have influenced his lyrics. Above all, we
believe that all musical creativity is divinely inspired by God. :)
What is the concert setup?
The live band is composed of:
Matt Odmark- acoustic guitar, bgv
Charlie Lowell- piano, organ, bgv
Dan Haseltine- vocals
Scott Savage- drums, percussion
Stephen Mason- acoustic guitar, bgv
We also run some drumbeats and samples you would hear on the album on an ADAT
machine. Also, for simply financial reasons, we run bass guitar on the ADAT.
This is temporary, because our desire is to have a bass player, but we are a
young band, and don't have the $$$$$$ to hire one. :) --all vocals, guitars,
drums and keys are LIVE.
Who is not in the picture but given album credit?
The man you refer to is Tim Smith, Dan's uncle, who played all the live drums
on the album. He is an extremely talented drummer, but, not a member of the
group. For concerts, Scott Savage plays with us- he's an amazing drummer,
and he's got a great vibe live.
How have you been received?
We have been amazed at the things God is doing with the group. We have had
the opportunity to go on tour with PFR, and we'll be going back out with them
in the fall. Overall, the response has been encouraging! Some have shared
how a song has touched them or spoken to them in a way that draws them closer
to God....that is what's truly important to us...'cuz we realize this "band
thing" will fade away, but the only things left standing are the things of
eternity. :) It's really important that we stay focused on things of
eternity- don't let me mislead you into thinking that's easy!....please pray
for us!
Lastly, thanks so much for your encouragement and your questions...we
love to answer them.
God's Peace to you,
Stephen
(Snack 75)
ii cor. 4:7
********************************************************************************
*Billboard review of Flood:
This is from Billboard's Single Reviews column, from the May 27, 1995 issue:
Jars of Clay: Flood (3:15)
Producer: Adrian Belew
Publishers: Bridge Building/Pogostick, BMI
Essential 5012 (CD single)
This quartet cryptically takes its name from the Bible verse 2 Corinthians
4:7. While the music is not exactly religious, it is definitely
inspirational. The lyrics are a celebration of life, as an acoustic chorus
and compassionate vocals unearth a handsome harmony. Modern rock radio
should check out this Adrian Belew production.
*****************************************************************
*Charting the Singles:
It is rumoured 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.
******************************************************************************
*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 Saviour
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. 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
******************************************************************************
*Syndicate Article: Breaking Jars of Clay (by Mark Smeby)
Taking advantage of the beautiful spring-time 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."
********************************************************************************
*History of Jars:
I have included below an article by the youth leader (Jack
Cleveland) of Charlie and Matt, to help explain the changes in the band. Jack
printed this in the church bulletin to enlighten the congregation on what
exactly took place. It has been edited so that it won't take an hour to
read, and I hope that it sheds some light on what the guys have gone through
in the past year and a half or so. Enjoy!
"Jars of Clay began with Charlie Lowell and Dan Haseltine, two college
sophomores who had a vision to be parts of a band. Charlie, whose major at
Greenville College was CCM, had studied II Cor 4:7 in high school, and he
liked the Jars of Clay title as a name for a band. As this came together, it
evolved into a four-piece group with Charlie on keys, Dan Haseltine on
vocals, Steve Mason on guitar and Matt Bronleewe on guitar. They performed on
campus and surrounding areas and were very well recieved. Last April they
submitted a demo tape to the judges of the Gospel Music Association, and they
were selected to be one of ten bands slatd to compete in the Association's
Spotlight '94 talent competition, attended by a number of Music Industry
people. Jars of Clay ended up taking the competition by storm - essentially,
GMA was naming them the best unsigned band in the country. Their achievement
naturally led to a flurry of attention: many of the top record companies in
the Christian music industry wanted to sign this talented foursome.
The group's members decided to put their college educations on hold, and
they began to explore the possiblity of moving to Nashville and committing
themselves full-time to the band and its potential ministry. One of the
band's members decided to leave the group at this time to pursue his business
degree, and Charlie thought of his friend Matt Odmark as a new guitarist
(they had played in a Christian band from 1987 to 1990 called Simple Truth).
Matt had just completed his second year at the University of Rochester. He
was serving the Church as an active volunteer youth leader and he also gave
himself away to the kids as a leader with the Gates-Chili Young Life Club.
After praying for 2 months over Charlie's offer, Matt decided to accept and
move to Nashville.
Since that time, Jars of Clay has had an exciting ministry in Nashville
and around the country. They have finished an 8-week tour with PFR and there
is a massive marketing plan in the works designed to keep the group current
with the American public.
What touches me is not the hype and publicity, but their amazing love
for their God. Even the group's name makes it clear that these guys know
whatever success they have is theirs only because God has chosen to bless
them. And their constant desire is to challenge people to consider Jesus
Christ as the key to the abundant life we all seek. In a recent phone
conversation, Matt told me, "This is about the ministry of Jesus Christ, and
if it stops being that, I will be done." Matt and Charlie (as well as Dan and
Steve) have learned in their 21 years that life is about serving and loving
Jesus Christ. That is what they want to be about.
God is doing great things through the ministry of Jars of Clay and their
lives. Please pray for them that their focus might stay on Jesus, and that
their ministry would be fruitful.
********************************************************************************
AMEN!
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