Jars of Clay Inspires at Troubadour

In the hands of Jars of Clay, Christian rock is no longer relegated to corner bookstore displays or the bargain bins--it shakes, rattles and rolls with vibrant force.

By the end of the Nashville-based group’s show on Wednesday at the Troubadour, fans were singing along to the lyrics of the single “Flood,” an inspirational pop song with Old Testament references that’s been garnering heavy airplay on such alternative-rock stations as KROQ.

Where dark, desperate, nihilistic images permeate the themes of many popular alternative rock and hip-hop artists, from Alice in Chains to 2Pac, Jars of Clay takes that pessimism and channels it upward. “Lift me up when I’m falling,” sang Dan Haseltine as he delivered “Flood” with heartfelt expression. “Lift me up--keep me from drowning again.”

With an energetic acoustic approach--sort of Hootie & the Blowfish with a pulse--the group enhanced the sound of songs from its self-titled debut album such as “Liquid” and “Sinking” without losing the intimate, stripped-down appeal of the recorded versions. Particularly touching was the delicate “He,” a song written from her perspective of a 4-year-old girl who was murdered by her parents.

Unlike Stryper, a mid-’80s Christian hard-rock group with similar intentions, Jars of Clay delivers its message without falling into didacticism or silly theatrics. Despite a few technical problems and some pacing miscues Wednesday, the group delivered its message to a young audience that normally wouldn’t be exposed to such sentiments, without the smoke and mirrors.

* Jars of Clay plays on Saturday with Bryan Duncan at 9:30 and 11 p.m. as part of “Spring Jubilation Saturday” at Knott’s Berry Farm’s Good Time Theatre, 8039 Beach Blvd., Buena Park. Event starts at 10 a.m. $21 in advance, $24 day of show. (714) 220-5200.