Playing Dead's Wednesday residency rolls into Halloween week in Pembroke

The South Shore's standing Grateful Dead night returns to Soundcheck Studios on Wednesday, October 28.

On the South Shore, Wednesday is Dead night. Playing Dead brings its Grateful Wednesday Residency back to Soundcheck Studios in Pembroke on Wednesday, October 28. Doors are at 7 p.m. and the show is at 8, per the venue's OpenDate listing. It's the last residency night before Halloween.

The residency has run on Wednesdays from June into September and on through the fall. It has become one of the steadier things on the region's live calendar. Last January the Boston Globe wrote about the Massachusetts Deadhead scene and credited Soundcheck Studios with putting itself "on the map" with Playing Dead's Wednesday night run. For a room in Pembroke, a long way from the Boston club strip, that's a real achievement. The way it got there is simple: the same band, the same night, every week, until people stop checking the calendar and just show up.

The same band, the same night, every week, until people stop checking the calendar and just show up.

The band has earned the slot. Playing Dead describes itself as a Grateful Dead tribute featuring former members of Dark Star Orchestra, Slipknot! and Uncle John's Band. Our records show the band has played the Boston market more than anywhere else, and the residency is the main reason. Even so, Playing Dead still takes the show on the road. This past July it played a "Tuesday's Dead" night at Sanctuary in Maynard, and its Boston Harbor "Ship of Fools" cruise has become a summer staple.

Halloween week has its own history here. In 2024 the band turned its Wednesday into a "Dead-O-Ween Celebration" at Soundcheck. This year the venue lists October 28 as a regular residency night, so come for the music, and wear a costume if you want to.

At the residency, the setlist is the draw. A weekly Dead band can take the deep cuts and long jams that a once-a-year tribute show can't afford.

Tickets for October 28 are $20, and the show is 21+ with valid ID, per the venue's listing.

Sources: OpenDate – Playing Dead Grateful Wednesday Residency, Oct 28, 2026 (app.opendate.io); OpenDate – Soundcheck Studios venue page (app.opendate.io); OpenDate – Playing Dead Residency, Sept 2, 2026 (app.opendate.io); OpenDate – Playing Dead Residency, June 17, 2026 (app.opendate.io); OpenDate – Playing Dead Dead-O-Ween Celebration, Oct 30, 2024 (app.opendate.io); OpenDate – Tuesday's Dead with Playing Dead, July 14, 2026 (app.opendate.io); Boston Globe – Deadhead scene in Massachusetts (Jan 7, 2026) (bostonglobe.com); Playing Dead's Annual Ship of Fools Concert Cruise - Time Out Boston (timeout.com); Playing Dead, Grateful Wednesday Residency - Soundcheck Studios (soundcheck-studios.com)