When Chris Bennett isn't touring Europe in rock-star mode with his metal band, he can usually be found creating delicacies such as multi-grain bread, cookies or chiffon cakes at Trefzger's Bakery on Prospect Road.
Bennett, 33, is singer and guitarist of the Peoria-based band Minsk, which just released its third album, "With Echoes in the Movement of Stone." The band will host a CD release party at 7 p.m. Saturday at The Meeting House, 4714 N. Sheridan Road.
The group just this month returned from its first overseas tour, and Bennett is transitioning back into life as a baker in central Illinois.
When he's here in Peoria, Bennett arrives at Trefzger's at about 9 a.m. — sometimes a little earlier, sometimes a little later. He's primarily a bread guy, but will make cookies or cakes as well. It's the bread that requires the most concentration.
"There's little margin for error when making fresh bread," he says, but he often works the kinks out of new songs at the same time he's kneading bread dough.
Not that he minds the work much. He gets free food, and bakery owners Jeff and Martha Huebner have given him plenty of freedom to chase his musical aspirations.
Minsk, which also includes bassist Sanford Parker, drummer Anthony Couri and singer and key boardist Tim Mead, formed late in 2002 and played its first show in March of 2003. The band took on gigs at VFW halls around town and went on its first tour that same year — two weeks of shows on the West Coast.
The band embarked on its first European tour on April 23 to play shows in the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and France.
Band members aren't aggressively chasing fame and fortune, but they do enjoy getting up on stage and sharing their music. They're in the process of booking dates for a return trip this fall.
"None of us are naive to think that (we'd become famous)," Bennett said. "If you become a very successful band, it's pure luck, basically — especially now with the whole music world in sort of a weird spot because of digital downloading.