Jars of Clay: The Stories

(Originally published in The Papyrus, the Greenville College student newspaper, on

Feb. 15, 1996, and reprinted on Jarchives.com)

They were just some normal Greenville College students.

They drank from their BIG MOs. Various women dated and, yes, rejected them.

Then they scraped together some money and recorded a demo. Then they entered and won the Gospel Music Association's new artist search.

Nevertheless, my friends and I remained cynical. The CCM major was a joke to us. No one ever got a record deal with a degree — even one that cost $64,000.

Well, their CD was actually pretty good. I went to the release party, mostly out of boredom, and ended up buying one.

But my skepticism persisted. I thought they’d drop out, move to Nashville, get signed to some obscure upstart label and make enough at music to supplement their jobs at Kinko’s Copies. Well, three out of four ain’t bad.

Jars of Clay currently has the second best selling Christian album, according to the CCM Update. They are outselling the latest from Michael W. Smith for whom they open a week from today in St. Louis.

Jars appeared in a swimming pool on the cover of the October CCM magazine, which declared them "THE YEAR’S BIGGEST SPLASH.’’ They even put out a four-song Christmas EP.

You can buy their caps, T-shirts, posters and "The Collector’s Edition CD-ROM,’’ which features "live concert, clips, exclusive interviews, audio selections from the ‘Frail’ demo, and bonus Jars of Clay screensavers."

You can order an 8 x 10 of them for $3.95 or an autographed 8 x 10 for just $20! Can the fully poseable Dan Haseltine doll be far behind?

Yet, it seems like the Jugs of Mud guys are not quite content to remain the darlings of the Christian music ghetto. Without changing their blatantly Christian lyrics, the former Tuesday Night Live performers are attempting what DC Talk is currently doing with "Jesus Freak" — crossing into mainstream music.

Silvertone Records is now distributing Jars’ self-titled debut to a surprisingly receptive secular market.

Modern rock stations, including St. Louis powerhouse KPNT, are playing the song "Flood." The March issue of CMJ New Music Monthly includes the song on its accompanying sampler CD and gives a glowing review of the Jars’ album: "The sound is especially winning when twined to the close harmonies that make the band’s emotional pop seem positively hymnal."

Jesus said, "No prophet is ever accepted in his hometown" (John 4:24 NIV). Well, Jesus’ words apply to the Jars. Despite their unprecedented success, many Greenville students remain the group’s harshest critics.

According to friends at Oral Roberts University, Jars is the most popular group there. People have offered Sam and John more than $300 for their "Frail" demos, but they refuse to sell them.

When I see them on breaks, they often sport the Jars caps and T-shirts. I laugh and tell them, "If you wore those at Greenville, people would make fun of you."

Sure, admissions representatives and the music department brag about the group’s success. The alumni publication, The Record, frequently boasts about Jars, too. Imagine how these offices would have exploited Steve, Dan and Charlie if they had actually graduated.

Maybe GC should run the following advertisement: Come to GC. Drop out. Become famous.

The Agapé staff likes Jars, too. They put Jars on the festival poster, but now it turns out that Jars will not be appearing and will probably be in Europe at the time.

"Sorry kids, Jars couldn’t make it, but give a warm Agapé welcome to Norman and the Nomads."

Oh well, maybe we can get them for commencement.

Visit Finley's Newsstand.

Jars and friends: Web sites, videos and stories

Jars Of Clay
Flood
Jars Of Clay
Five Candles
Jars Of Clay
Crazy Times
Billboard story on "Who We Are Instead" project
Jars and Johnny: Haseltine writes forward to Cash book
Nashville Rage reviews "Who We Are Instead"
Jars' charity
Jars on NPR
Jars in USA Today
All Music Guide's four-star review of "The 11th Hour"
Jars on CNN
New York Post: "Jars of Clay is a remarkably good rock band. ..."
Interview with CD Now
Interview with MTV Asia about "The 11th Hour"(But why is U.S. MTV ignoring the band?)
Relevant magazine: Dan Haseltine writes
Jars perform on "Early Show"
Jars perform with Lifehouse
Related link: Lifehouse's "Gospel" in Rolling Stone
Related link: Lifehouse site
Jars of Clay lead singer Dan Haseltine wins the Briner Award
Listen to Jars of Clay on Jeff's radio station.
Photographs of Jars' wives and parents at GC graduation
Jars of Clay: the official site
Jars of Clay Web Site Links
Jonathan Noel: GC graduate who co-wrote "Hand" with Jars of Clay
Jars give to Greenville
Jars in CCM cover story on "Roaring Lambs" album
VH1 review of Jars of Clay's latest album
Billboard review of "If I Left the Zoo"
Chicago Tribune review of "If I Left the Zoo"
Wall of Sound review of "If I Left the Zoo"
CCM Review of Zoo tour
MTV covers Jars
Jars of Clay wins a Grammy
Christianity Today: "Hymns on MTV"
Christianity Today sidebar about Greenville College's music program in which Jars studied
Christianity Today review
letters to Christianity Today about "Hymns on MTV"
Campus Life article
Campus Life cover story in 1997
Rolling Stone on Jars of Clay
Biography
Save the elephants
Q review of Jars of Clay's self-titled debut
Entertainment Weekly review of "Much Afraid"
Entertainment Weekly's "God Squad"
Plumb: first two albums were produced by former Jars member Matt Bronleewe; first album was co-produced by Dan Haseltine, lead singer of Jars
Sting: artist with whom Jars of Clay toured
Dan Haseltine responds to "Roaring Lambs" review

©2000, 2002 Jeff & Jen Finley

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