I don't quite remember what got me into the so called Contemporary Christian Music artists Jars Of Clay in the first place, but I know it was around the time that Much Afraid had just won the Grammy for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album, and the single "Crazy Times" was getting some decent crossover airplay on mainstream radio. Based on this song, and the things I was hearing about this band, I decided to give this whole Christian-pop thing a try, and picked up the Much Afraid album. After all, I have never emphasized lyrics as much as I do the music, so I would hopefully be able to withstand the often agonizingly annoying lyrics you typically get with Christian music. And besides, I was looking for a change of pace from all of the Dream Theater, Rush, and King's X I'd been jamming to.

Turns out, I loved Much Afraid, which inspired me to run out and get their 1995, self-titled debut, as well. Jar Of Clay turned out to be as good as, if not better than, Much Afraid, depending on what kind of mood you're in. Finally, a fresh new band to enjoy, which is a rarity these days. Well, I eventually lost interest in the band after 1999's If I Left The Zoo failed to move me like the first two albums did. When I noticed the 11 Live DVD in my local music store a few years ago, I was very intrigued to find out what their new The Eleventh Hour album had to offer, and just what these boys could do live. Their studio albums have a very highly polished sound, and the music can get rather complex with the inclusion of numerous stringed instruments, accordion, and interwoven harmonies. Jars Of Clay show here that they can more than hold their own on the concert stage.

11 Live was filmed during the band's The Eleventh Hour tour, in 2002, and features both a full-length concert main feature, as well as a four-song acoustic set from the same show. The main feature includes thirteen songs which are pulled from all four studio albums, of which five are from the new The Eleventh Hour album. The song choices were generally good "Love Song For a Savior" and "Flood" from the debut, "Collide" from If I Left The Zoo, "Disappear" from The Eleventh Hour, but what the hell, I mean heck, happened to Much Afraid? Only "Crazy Times" from the album that won your butts a Grammy and really put you on the map? No "Overjoyed", "Frail", or "Truce" at least? How dare they dis my favorite JoC album! Ahhh well, at least they did play six songs from the debut album, if you include the two from the acoustic set.