The Vampire Lestat One Night Only Concert Recap: Sam Reid Had the Beacon Theatre Screaming

Whew. Take a deep breath, Savage Garden coven, because television marketing just changed forever. AMC officially did their big one. On a beautiful weeknight in New York City, the historic Beacon Theatre was turned into a gothic-glam sanctuary for The Vampire Lestat: One Night Only live fan premiere and concert event. To celebrate the upcoming third season of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, (timed perfectly to the embargo lift which has the season sitting pretty at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes) AMC said forget handing out posters or a new trailer. No, girl, they threw an immersive, rock-and-roll experience that completely altered the brain chemistry of everyone in attendance.

I've gone to my fair share of screenings but this has got to be the best screening I have ever attended. The minute you entered the venue, it was clear that AMC said budget, what's that, I don't know her. Before you even made it to your seat, you were met with a crew member making sure you received your complimentary snack and beverage to fuel up for the night ahead. You get to your seat and the VIP treatment continued with a custom swag tote bag waiting for every single guest. Inside was a treasure trove for the fandom: The Vampire Lestat Rolling Stone cover, a mini collectible record and a golden ticket QR code for exclusive concert merch only available to attendees.

The energy outside on the black carpet was fire, but the real magic happened when the star-studded guest list made their way inside. After posing for flashbulbs, doing interviews and greeting screaming fans, the cast and creatives were shown directly to their seats right within the crowd of fans and industry professionals.

Seated down front close to the action, the view of the arena was unmatched. One by one, the stars led in to the absolute, deafening screams of the balcony above. Jacob Anderson, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, and Delainey Hayles were all smiles as they found their rows.

Now, full disclosure: I have already seen the first six episodes provided to the press. But watching the highly anticipated season three premiere episode alongside the actual cast and fans? Unbelievable. Catching side-glances of their real-time reactions to the fans' explosive reactions was an absolute highlight. While my lips are sealed and I will never spoil the plot of the episode, I can say with total confidence that the fandom absolutely loved the premiere. The collective gasps, laughs and cheers proved that the writers have struck a chord with the fans.

If the episode screening was an appetizer, the live concert that immediately followed was a whole entire five-course meal. Now, look, I am not a huge rock music fan by any means, but the live set was completely electrifying.

The second Sam Reid stepped onto the stage, he was no longer just an actor; he was entirely Lestat de Lioncourt giving a full-throttle rock concert. The vocals were live completely mesmerizing as his mic was on. I couldn't believe it. The production value, the lighting and the performance were so seamless that it felt like being trapped directly inside an episode of the show.

Not me feeling a certain type of way watching the cast support each other, either. Getting to see Jacob Anderson, who was seated just a few seats down from me, literally beaming with pride at Sam’s performance was everything. I felt like a proud mama watching them and I can’t even fully explain it. The mutual respect and camaraderie between the onscreen toxic couple added a whole new layer of sweetness to an otherwise beautifully dark night.

AMC and Sam Reid gave the fans a real treat that will be talked about until the actual television broadcast airs on Sunday, June 7. It was a flawless victory. Amazing, 10/10, absolutely no notes.

Did you catch the clips online, or were you lucky enough to get a ticket through that insane lottery? Let’s talk about those new tracks in the comments below and check out our season review here.