Interview with a Vampire King

Preston Steamed brings the funk with punk.

By SAM BYRD |

Photo by ANGELO S. ORTIZ VELA | Outfit by @MATT_COVEN | Headpiece by @ELIZAPAUNMI

Preston Steamed brings a whole new twist to gender-bending illusions. He originally started as a drag queen, but switched to performing as a king who has soaked up his moment in the moonlight. Although his name suggests he’s tidy and organized, he enjoys shaking things up with his raw, boundarypushing performances. Find out more about this vampire king here.

Pronouns? He/Him

Inner Avatar?

A cat, because I’m very headstrong and selfsufficient but love to be pampered.

Hometown?

I’m originally from Central Texas, but moved a couple times. I spent the most amount of time in Amarillo before I moved to Houston.

Drag birthday?

I originally started as a queen on February 17, 2018, but I didn’t perform as a king until June 28, 2018.

What got you interested in drag? There were a few different things that really led me to drag. One of my first introductions was my cousin showing me Sasha Velour when she won her season of Drag Race. Then one night, a friend of mine in college randomly took me to go see So You Think You Can Drag. I started going to the show and really fell in love with the performances. But I didn’t think that I really could do drag myself until I saw season two of Dragula. Before that, I had no idea that alternative drag was a thing, and seeing the top four from that season really changed everything for me and made me want to start performing.

Describe your persona.

Preston is a vampire, so he’s been dead for a hot minute. He’s a little bit spooky, a little bit stupid, a little bit filthy, and a whole lot of energy! I range from punk high energy to just unhinged, campy chaos. But no matter what I’m performing, I’ll always be drawing you in with my stage presence.

How did you pick your name?

Preston wasn’t originally my name. I started as Earl Grey, but was unaware there was another established king using that name in L.A. So, when I had to change it, my partner at the time was the one who came up with Preston Steamed, which I really liked because it’s a great pun and it sounds a little steampunk, which was my main aesthetic when I started. It was either gonna be that or Edgar Allan Hoe.

What’s on your bucket list?

Travel internationally, move to California, perform in Princess in San Francisco at least once, see Night Gowns in New York with Sasha Velour, work with Landon Cider, and one day when I’ve had my fun performing and being famous, I’d like to open a queer coffee shop.

Describe your aesthetic.

I take a lot of inspiration from the emo and punk scene in the 2000s. I like to think that Preston is the manifestation of what 13-year-old me wishes he could have dressed like. I like to blur the lines of gender a lot, as well, and like to bounce back and forth from masculine to feminine looks. I also take influence from vampire aesthetics like Blade and Lost Boys, as well as some steampunk and cyberpunk influence.

What’s your must-have clothing accessory or prop?

You’ll almost never catch me without a choker of some kind.

Secret talent?

I can walk on my hands.

Where can we see you perform?

I perform around Houston quite a bit, so it really depends on the month. I have a monthly cast spot every second Wednesday at Barcode. I also have been traveling for gigs in Austin, as well as out of state. I just debuted my very own show at Barcode called Preston’s Cabinet of Curiosities that alternates every few months.