On a warm Tuesday night, the blood of Interview with the Vampire fans ran hot as they gathered at New York City's Beacon Theatre for The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only – LIVE. In promoting the AMC show's much-anticipated third season, titled The Vampire Lestat, Sam Reid pulled a KPop Demon Hunters move, performing live as his fictional rock star persona, Lestat de Lioncourt.
Tickets for the event were free, available through a fan lottery that urged attendees to dress "rock star chic." Mashable was there, surrounded by the Beautiful Unwell, as Lestat refers to his fans, dressed in black, dripping in sequins and glitter, and hungry for the once-in–a-lifetime experience of seeing the Brat Prince live. But in case you weren't at the packed show, which boasted nearly 2,900 attendees, we've got you covered. Here's everything you'll want to know about The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only – LIVE — including how you can see it for yourself.
What was The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only – LIVE like?
Simply extraordinary. The night kicked off with a red carpet, featuring Interview with the Vampire cast members Sam Reid, Jacob Anderson, Assad Zaman, Eric Bogosian, Delainey Hayles, and Justin Kirk. Also present were new additions for The Vampire Lestat, including Jennifer Ehle, Damien Atkins, Ella Ballentine, Ryan Kattner, Sheila Atim, and Noah Reid.
As the red-carpet interviews went on, a line of concert-goers wrapped around the block, waiting to enter the Beacon Theatre. The crowd was dressed to impress in corsets, leather, lace, and various nods to vampire-themed pop culture. (This reporter favored a Lost Boys: A New Musical crop top, red teardrop earrings, black taffeta skirt, and porcelain Doc Martens, topped with an oversized denim jacket splattered with band pins, including Lestat's.)
The energy was festive and joyful. Inside, fans clamored to look over the merch table, the bar with custom cocktails, and the celebrity guests who came to be seen. I was excited to see the Boulet Brothers, the gothic drag queens who host Boulet Brothers' Dragula, another AMC+ show.
Inside the theater, each seat contained a swag bag for attendees. And on an enormous screen above the stage, a sizzle reel played, teasing The Vampire Lestat with footage of a shirtless Reid strutting and mugging at the camera.
Then came the screams. As the red carpet concluded, Interview with the Vampire's cast came into the theater through a side entrance, near the stage. The theater exploded with noise as Anderson walked in. Then Zaman, and then Delainey. Here's where being 5'2" is an issue. I could see some of these arrivals, but as people took to their feet and whipped out their phones, I lost sight of the door and cannot say for certain who else came inside for the show.
After a brief introduction from an AMC representative about the upcoming premiere on June 7, the lights went down, and the giant screen played the first episode of The Vampire Lestat. It's called "Detroit." And for more on that, I urge you to look at my review.
Obviously, as my review ran ahead of the concert, I'd seen the episode before. But it definitely hits different watching with thousands of other people cheering and cackling throughout. Collectively, we laughed at Lestat's biting wit and petty grievances. (He does not like Daniel Malloy's book!) We cheered as he played "Long Face" before a Detroit audience. We squealed as he got into a brutal battle with a local "fang gang." Once more, screams sounded as Anderson's Louis appeared on-screen for the first time. The same went for Zaman's Armand and Bogosian's Daniel.
The biggest reaction, however, came in the episode's final moments, when a new character made her appearance: Jennifer Ehle as Gabrielle, Lestat's mom and first fledgling. And just like that, the episode ended, and the curtain came up with a full band awaiting Lestat's arrival.
Sam Reid is mesmerizing as Lestat.
Accompanied on guitar by Daniel Hart, who wrote and composed the songs for The Vampire Lestat, Reid took to the stage in character, wearing tight pants, a smug expression, and prosthetic scars on his chest, which are a new detail in this third season.
Reid's onstage persona evoked David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Steven Tyler, as he crooned, strutted, flipped his hair, flung a scarf, and generally oozed sex appeal with a crooked grin. At one point, he recreated the shoulder shimmy that drove fans wild in the Season 2 episode where Armand recalls seeing the vampire onstage, performing as a Harlequin for humans. The crowd caught the reference and screamed with appreciation. Occasionally, Reid would reach out a hand out to his audience. He'd crawl on the floor. He made the stage his own.
Two things Reid did not do that Lestat does in The Vampire Lestat: He did not stage dive (which, considering the setup of the Beacon with its static seats, would have been a serious safety issue), and he did not fly (which, considering several of The Lost Boys producers and director Michael Arden were in the house, seemed a distant possibility). Still, the short set he performed was exhilarating, and left the crowd cheering for an encore that sadly did not come. But could there be more to come in the future?
Will Lestat perform live again?
At this time, AMC has made no announcements about further live performances. Mashable will report more if this story develops.
How can I see The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only – LIVE?
AMC allowed attendees to film the concert on their phones, so there are plenty of clips of the live performance on social media already. And because the stage show was so beautifully lit, even the amateur footage of the performance looks pretty great. However, if you want to see the whole concert, you could be in luck.
As attendees entered, there was a sign warning that by entering the premises, they agreed to be filmed. Plus, professional camera rigs were on stage with Reid and off, operating on a crane. That all certainly suggests AMC plans to release some version of this live show, probably on their platform. After all, they currently have their Comic-Con panel on AMC+ to stream.
More on this as it develops.
What songs did Lestat play live?
The set list for The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only – LIVE was a mix of songs that have already been released on streaming and never-before-heard tracks.
The show opened with "Long Face," the first original track released for the new season. Then, Reid played "Big Bad Wolf." Next, he donned a big furry coat — a nod to the wolf-fur cloak from the novel — for "Your Biggest Fan." The next song was an unreleased track called "The Loneliness," then "Brutal Love," which Anderson teased to fans as his favorites. Finally, the show closed with a performance of "Butterscotch Bitch," which is now streaming on Apple Music.
For video from The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only – LIVE, visit my Instagram.
Were there freebies and swag?
Oh yes. Drink tickets allowed for a free cocktail, with names like The Dark Gift, Little Killer, and Brat Prince. Free popcorn came in boxes with Lestat’s face on them.
At the seats, a black tote bag commemorated The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only – LIVE with a big graphic logo. Inside was a copy of Rolling Stone, with a back cover dedicated to Lestat. A guitar pick with his band's logo was also inside, along with a vinyl record that has "Long Face" on Side A, and "Your Biggest Fan" on the B side.
If you missed out on this event and the free merch, you can go to AMC to buy some of your own.
How to watch: The Vampire Lestat debuts on AMC and AMC+ June 7, with new episodes weekly.
Source: Mashable