Blues and pews

Local musician looks to the Bible, and not
the church, to make sense of the world

by CHRIS BARRY

Name: “Deacon George” Toufexis

Age: 57

Occupation: Musician/illustrator/church mouse

Bio: This hunky Pierrefonds stud grew up in the Plateau back when rents were cheap, and at age 24 had “a conversion experience” that eventually led him to become a deacon at the Madison Baptist Church in NDG. One motherfucker of a multi-talented dude, he pays his bills by working as a freelance illustrator but is also an active musician on the local blues/roots scene who conducts something called the Mad Monk Café several times a year out of his church’s basement—quite the accomplishment, given that he chopped off his left index finger a decade or so ago and had to pretty well relearn his guitar technique after said finger was miraculously reattached by a team of dedicated surgeons at the Sacré Coeur hospital in Cartierville. None too keen on the dogma and “manmade nonsense” of the church “that’s imposed on people and a burden on them that they shouldn’t need to bear,” George also teaches Bible studies “taking a historical, grammatical approach to the Bible, interpreting it like you would any document. I have very little respect for those that follow tradition over what the Bible actually says.” He drives a pragmatic 2004 Saturn Ion and is currently recording a new CD, No Stranger Now, “hopefully” out this fall. To check out his art, go to georgetoufexis.com, for his music, myspace.com/deacongeorgemusic.

What’s a deacon anyway? “A deacon simply means to be a servant of the church, kind of like an elder. I can’t marry people or anything like that. In my church, the deacons all have families that we watch over and help out whenever they have difficulties. I also give sermons sometimes.”

Is it safe to assume deacons don’t generally get as lucky with the choir boys as priests and ministers do, that the ordained fellas usually get first crack at the choice twink action? “That’s a sad story… evil and ugly. But when you have a system that’s manmade, not from scripture or biblical at all, when you put these artificial restraints on people, like not allowing marriage, contraception and things like that, well, you’re just asking for trouble.”

So he plays blues by night and preaches hellfire Sunday mornings? “That’s right, man, I live the bluesman’s dream, playing blues and church music like all those guys from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s did. It’s a beautiful life.”

Is an emotionally challenged holy man somehow involved with his Mad Monk Café thing? “No, it’s ’cause the church is on the corner of Madison and Monkland. The Café is something I started with my wife where I take people or themes from blues or roots music and run a slideshow of that subject while a few guests and I tell their story and play their songs. The place packs out every time we do it. The next one’s July 23, The Gospel According to Johnny Cash, and they’re always free, the baked goods, refreshments, everything’s free. We won’t even allow for a donation box.”

Childhood ambition: To become an astronomer.

Last book read: The Lady in the Lake, by Raymond Chandler.

Musical preferences: Josh White, Big Bill Broonzy, Steve Earle.

Words of wisdom: “Always seek the truth and never accept anything based on just the fact that somebody told you something.”

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