It’s not every day that you get to watch one of your favorite characters come to life, but AMC Global Media gave Anne Rice fans just that during a “The Vampire Lestat” premiere event at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. A jam-packed three-level theater full of Lestat diehards dressed in their vampire best cheered and laughed throughout an advance screening ahead of Sunday’s season premiere, but that was just the appetizer before the delectable main course: a live rock concert featuring star Sam Reid, performing in-character as the cocky and capricious vampire-prince-turned-rockstar Lestat.

Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for AMC/AMC+

Reid, with a band led by composer Daniel Hart, played a collection of songs from the show’s soundtrack, including several singles released in past months to promote the show. There was the raving-mad “Long Face,” visceral lyrics sung from the gut by Reid, all gyrating hips and winks at the crowd, while love ballad “Your Biggest Fan” tied into the vamp’s longing for a companion (his “brave little wolf killer”) on the show. The actor was pitch-perfect as Lestat in the flesh, down to his closing lines, which went something like, “That’s all the time I have, but I want to congratulate you for your close proximity to me,” producing a cheeky smile to go with it. He never broke character, and all of his “beasties” (as he referred to his energetic supporters) loved it.

AMCGM CCO and AMC Studios President Dan McDermott kicked off the night’s festivities with brief remarks thanking not only the cast and crew but also the fans, saying the event was as much a celebration of the show’s fandom as its return. The goodie bag was certainly a nice touch, containing a Lestat vinyl and a Rolling Stone magazine with the character on the cover. The very funny first episode was a great time, too. Lestat premieres Sunday at 9pm on AMC and AMC+.

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