11.11 Trebek Is Back!

By Alex Kantarelis

Worcester rock band Trebek has decided it’s time for a comeback! The band, named after the famous “SNL” celebrity “Jeopardy” skit where Will Ferrel plays Alex Trebek, called it quits almost 2 years ago, when the “real world” stepped in the way; it seemed as though the band was finished, but luckily for Worcester and the rest of Central MA, they are back ~ and stronger than ever.

Trebek was born in 2005 when vocalist Matt Dionne and bassist Mike Kelly got together to start a new band. Things took off quickly as they found themselves playing everywhere in MA, soon to be followed by shows all over New England. They played at pretty much every venue within a 100 mile radius of Worcester ~ including Gillette Stadium ~ and reached out to Philly and New York as well. Most local bands simply hope to play gigs and draw large enough audiences so that they’ll be asked back to play again. But Trebek had different plans. They took home not one, but four Pulse Worcester Music Awards in 2006 and had a very strong top 5 placing at a Battle of the Bands in Boston that thousands of bands entered. In 2008, they had a song play on TV during the Patriots game. But as they continued their rise, things started to level off. Shows became the same old story every time, and nothing new was happening. “It just got a little stale for us. We had all been in bands before. A few of us were presented with other opportunities, so we decided to split up,” Dionne said. But going their separate ways did not ruin the relationship among the members. “There were no band blow ups or anything too crazy,” Dionne shared.

After a year and a half apart, the band was presented with an opportunity to reunite for a benefit show. “To have the fans come out again and sing all the songs, it was just a great feeling,” Dionne remembered. Getting back together to play re-invigorated the guys, and suddenly they found themselves back in the studio recording their 2nd full length album, In The Dark, which came out earlier this year. “[The album] is the best thing I’ve ever been involved in, and I think we all feel the same way,” said Dionne, who made it a point to stress that they didn’t just record an album but are back full force.

The future of the band seems bright. They plan on playing out in the college scene as much as possible and continuing their shows across New England and the Northeast, with their sites set on reaching out to the rest of the country soon as well. Keep your eyes open for them, because they are not a band that should be overlooked.