Jars of Clay Coming to Franciscan University

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO—The multi-platinum, three-time Grammy Award-winning band, Jars of Clay, is coming to Franciscan University of Steubenville.

The Christian rock band, composed of lead singer Dan Haseltine, guitarists Steve Mason and Matt Odmark, and keyboardist Charlie Lowell, will be on campus for a special opening weekend show at the Finnegan Fieldhouse at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, September 1, 2006.

Admission is $20 per ticket for the general public and $15 with a Franciscan University ID. Tickets will be on sale beginning July 17 and may be purchased at the J.C. Williams Center switchboard on the University campus, by contacting Karen Paul in the Student Life Office at 740-283-6441, or at kpaul@franciscan.edu, or at the door.

Hailed for their remarkable ability to combine rock, pop, folk, and bluegrass elements while still remaining true to their Christian roots, Jars of Clay has been making their mark on the music scene for a dozen years.

Formed in 1994 at Greenville College, they first gained fame in 1995 with the release of their self-titled debut album, which produced their first major hit, "Flood." The album went double platinum and also brought Jars of Clay mainstream success.

More albums followed, including Much Afraid, If I Left the Zoo, and The Eleventh Hour. Those albums have produced 17 number-one Christian radio hits. The band's most recent album, Redemption Songs, is a collection of old hymns designed to “help Christians manage hard questions of faith.” Their latest project, Good Monsters, is slated for release on September 5.Band members spent part of this summer in Kenya and Rwanda in support of their Blood:Water Mission, which provides medical care and sanitary water wells in villages decimated by the AIDS/HIV pandemic.

Lead singer Dan Haseltine says he finds a profound connection between the need for clean blood and clean water in Africa and “Christ's sacrificial symbols of blood and water.”

The Jars of Clay concert begins at 9:00 p.m. with an opening act. Doors open at 8:00 p.m. Parking is free, and tickets may be purchased at the door.Franciscan University of Steubenville is located on University Blvd, near the intersections of Route 7 and 22/30, a 35-minute drive from Pittsburgh, 30 miles from Wheeling, West Virginia, and two hours from Columbus.

(www.franciscan.edu)