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Poetry in Motion

Committed to their music and their fans, Smalltown Poets are going the extra mile to put God's love in action.

by Chris Lutes

The guys in Smalltown Poets will tell you that life is marked by "defining moments." These events stop you dead in your tracks, no matter how fast you've been moving. They're moments that make you think about something important and make you realize, once again, how unimportant other so-called "big things" really are. …

"We were supposed to play at this fair in Kentucky," says Kevin Breuner, lead guitarist for the modern rock act. "So we set up our equipment on a flatbed trailer. Hardly anybody showed up; we really didn't think the show was gonna happen. We just wanted to leave."

But the Poets stayed, and, yes, they played—not very well, they admit. But, in the handful of people called "a crowd," there stood this 13-year-old girl. …

"We'd met her earlier in the day and learned she had leukemia," Kevin continues. "She was such a major fan of our music. She was also a very brave young lady. She told us, 'I've been through two-and-a-half years of radiation. I'm a cancer survivor.'

"She was such a sweet girl. Being there for her, that's what the show was all about.

"It was an instance where we made a young girl happy, brought some joy into her life," says Kevin. "It just meant so much to us."

And then there was the Poets' hurting friend. …

"This friend of ours lost a loved one about two years ago," says bassist Miguel DeJesus. "She told us our song, 'I'll Give,' has helped her through the hardest, saddest experience of her life. It's these sorts of things that mean a lot to us."

As the Poets reflect on such "defining moments," they will tell you their band's not about record sales—though their self-titled debut has sold more than 100,000 albums. It's not about a Grammy nomination or a Christian music Dove nomination—yet the band received nominations for both last spring. Or about cranking out another album—their current project will be in the stores by mid-October. And it's not about headlining their own tour—something they will do later this fall.

Granted, all those things are important to their music career. But reaching people takes first place.

"What we really want to do is share the love of Christ," explains frontman and rhythm guitarist Michael Johnston. "And this 'sharing' isn't just about talking or singing. It's about showing people that God loves them."

It's no accident the guys in Smalltown Poets come across as very down-to-earth. In fact, it's by design. The "Smalltown" part of the band's name is all about keeping a level head, a firm understanding of who they are and where they're from.

"Michael, Byron Goggin, our drummer, and I grew up in the small town of Tifton, Georgia," says keyboardist Danny Stephens. "We chose to call ourselves Smalltown Poets because we wanted a constant reminder that we're really just plain, simple guys from a small, country town. We're just some Christian guys who don't ever want to get too full of ourselves."

And while Kevin hails from California and Miguel grew up in Puerto Rico, they definitely share the three founding members' point of view.

"We're all Christians," says Kevin, "and that has to be what we're all about. It's not about being popular. It's not about being cool. It's about seeking to be humble people who desire to get closer to God. And it's about loving people.

Random Samples from the Poets "Killer" Pet Stories "When I was a little kid, I tried to keep pet lightning bugs. They always died. I guess it's 'cause I didn't punch holes in the lid of the jar. I also had some hamsters once. Totally useless pets. They all died too. Froze to death. It was an accident." —Byron "I had a newt. It's kind of a lizard with gills. It crawled up in my bed and died. I didn't know it until I got into bed that night. It freaked me out!" —Kevin Shy Guy "Because I'm a guitarist and jump around on the stage, people think I'm real outgoing. But I've always been kind of shy and withdrawn. When I'm off the stage and with a small group of people, it's hard to come out of my shell. But put me with Danny, Michael and Miguel, and I get a little crazy." —Kevin Biggest Musical Influence "For me, it has to be Keith Green. As a teenager, I went through a time where I only listened to his music." —Danny Cool Books "Keith Green's biography, No Compromise, is the best. The only book that's had a greater impact on my life would be the Bible." —Danny "Knowing God by J.I. Packer is a great book. It's about how a deeper understanding of God can change you into the type of person you were created to be. It was the most eye-opening book I've ever read." —Miguel

"It's about taking the time to talk to a hurting fan. It's about writing a letter of encouragement. It really doesn't matter if we get big or stay right where we are. What matters is showing the people who hear our music that we really care about them and that we have time for them." Of course, "Smalltown" is only part of the name. There's the "Poets" side, too. "Michael and I got to know each other in a high school creative writing class," says Danny. "Our teacher constantly drilled into our heads that good writing is always honest writing," adds Michael. "He taught us to write from our own life experiences and to find inspiration in the most mundane and ordinary places." "He taught us to look for beauty everywhere," says Danny. "And he taught us to write poetry," explains Michael, "from haiku to sonnets. He also encouraged us to follow our dreams. He knew Danny was an aspiring songwriter, and so he told him, 'If you have a dream, and you believe in something, then do something about it.'" "So our desire to write 'poetic' music is where the 'poet' in our name comes from," says Danny. "I believe our whole name, Smalltown Poets, comes with a kind of built-in accountability. "When it comes to being poets, we've got a lot to live up to. If our writing is bad, people are going to say, 'Poets! Shmoets! The lyrics are terrible!' We want that kind of accountability. "We never want to lose sight of our 'smalltown' roots, either," Danny concludes. "We never want to forget who we are. And we never want to forget that living our faith is more important than anything else in the world."

Copyright © 1998 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail clmag@CampusLife.net.
September/October 1998, Vol. 57, No. 2, Page 26

Read more from 'Bands & Artists'

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