One of the hottest contemporary Christian bands is playing at NIU later this week.

Jars of Clay, with opening guest The Elms, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Convocation Center.

Popular contemporary Christian act Jars of Clay, which is known for singles like “Flood” and “Like a Child,” has been writing songs since 1992. In 1997, Jars of Clay won a Grammy for Best Pop/ Contemporary Gospel album.

The Center, which has a concert capacity between 9,000 and 10,000, is located west of the residence halls, at 1525 W. Lincoln Highway.

Jars of Clay recently self-produced “Eleventh Hour,” an album that debuted at No. 28 on the Billboard pop charts.

Other Jars of Clay albums include 1997’s “Much Afraid” and 1999’s “If I Left The Zoo.”

“11 Live: Jars of Clay In Concert,” the first-ever Jars of Clay DVD, was released Aug. 20. It contains a full concert set, an acoustic set and behind-the-scenes interviews with members of the Christian act.

The Elms are a pop-rock band from Indiana. The Elms’ single, “Hey, Hey,” recently received airplay on MTV2’s “120 Minutes,” along with being nominated for the 2002 Gospel Music Association Dove Award. The group is touring in support of its new album, “Truth, Soul, Rock ‘n’ Roll,” which came out Oct. 22.

Tickets still are available, with prices ranging from $12.50 to $19.50. Tickets can be purchased by phone at (312) 559-1212, or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For information, call 752-6800, or visit www.convocenter.niu.edu.