July 21, 1999
Polished acts reward the faithful

CALGARY -- It has been said many times that the devil is behind all the best rock 'n' roll music.

But listening to all the stupidly violent rap music out there, or the contrived decadence of Marilyn Manson, you have got to think: Surely the Kingdom of God can come up with something better than this.

Aside from their Christian messages, both Jars of Clay and DC Talk -- who performed last night at the Saddledome before 5,000 faithful -- are as accomplished and commercial as anything on mainstream radio.

And they actually deliver their message with conviction, as opposed to many hip secular bands who are intoxicated by irony.

That said, the two acts are quite different.

Jars of Clay were on first, and they proved quite adept at playing rootsy American rock.

Hammond organ, electric piano and strummed acoustic guitars were always prominent and, with a canon of hook-filled tunes (the best of which was their single Flood), they often sounded like the offspring of Counting Crows and Hootie and the Blowfish. Except, that is, for the fact their singer's high, quivering voice often brings to mind Barry Gibb.

It that seemed a little strange, for their encore they covered Steve Miller's not-at-all-Christian Swingtown ("C'mon and dance/let's make some romance") -- a song that is older than many of the band's fans.

Meanwhile, one can see why DC Talk has created a stir in the Christian community, with many saying their sound is too aggressive to convey the word of God.

And it is an aggressive, in-your-face rock/hip-hop hybrid, complete with heavy-metal riffing and turntable scratching.

Their show was edgy and exciting -- yet the material time and time again exalted Jesus Christ.