Carnelian’s January show at The Ale House wasn’t just a concert, it was a farewell gesture. Now, it’s a documentary.
Carnelian: Alive at Ale, which premiered March 29 on YouTube, tells the story of the student band Carnelian as they headlined Ales n’ Amps on Jan. 22 in their biggest self-organized show yet. Produced, edited, and directed by Patrick Mitchell, ArtSci ’25, and co-produced by Rue Mathur, CompSci ’25, and Joshua Kowal, ArtSci ’25, the documentary is an appreciation for live music here in Kingston.
As half the band is graduating, the documentary is a unique look at the group’s last performance together as all students.
READ MORE: Carnelian, Colour Theory, and Chlorine take over The Ale House for Ales n’ Amps
Friends previously, Mitchell was eager to work with the band, and tell the story of their success as student musicians.
“They’re very funny guys, and I knew that if I pointed a camera at them and I asked them a couple questions that related to their artistry or their performances or their popularity, or the growth of the band, then there’s going to be something compelling there,” Mitchell shared in an interview with The Journal.
Consisting of Greyson Martyn, Sci ’25, Duncan MacLaren, Sci ’25, Ryan Ross, Comm ’25, and Angus Carter, BMus ’25, the of Carnelian met in their first year and formed the band the summer after third year.
READ MORE: Carnelian starts semester strong, while focusing on the future
Offering a unique look at the live music scene in Kingston, the documentary captures the city’s emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic and its reconnection with local performance art. The final cut weaves together a mix of candid interviews with the four , and dynamic concert footage from their unforgettable performance at The Ale House.
Carefully ordered clips tell a story behind each song, giving viewers a comprehensive understanding of the show, and the moments leading up to it.
One of the standout elements of the completed documentary—and something that resonated with Mitchell while telling Carnelian’s story—was the collaborative nature of the band. This is especially evident in some of the most engaging scenes, where you can clearly tell the band is in the same room, chiming in and playfully interrupting each other’s interviews.
When explaining how they met, Ross jokes about never hanging out much in their second year—prompting off-camera banter as from the rest of the band as they piece together the story of their formation.
“They’re all very close friends, and they’ve had this rise together, and they do have a real camaraderie,” Mitchell said.
One of the major challenges in bringing the documentary together was cutting over 10 hours of footage into a 47-minute documentary, leaving the viewer wondering what was left on the cutting room floor. “There’s so much great footage, you can make another documentary with everything you cut,” Mitchell said.
Ultimately, the editing challenge was well worth the experience of attending the show and having the opportunity to highlight the Kingston music scene, Mitchell said. Ales n’ Amps speaks to a broader musical culture in Kingston, consisting of students and locals coming together to enjoy live music.
Carnelian is back, alongside Clay Pigeons, and JINX, for the second Ales N’ Amps of the school year on April 3.
For Mitchell, who’s also graduating this year, having the opportunity to attend the show was one of the highlights of his time at Queen’s.
“Just being there and being surrounded by music and being surrounded by people who want to hear great music, and being in such a great venue, was an absolute highlight of my university experience,” Mitchell said.
An ode to live music, local art, and student filmmaking Carnelian: Alive at Ale is an impressive time capsule of a band’s last performance as students.
“It’s something that because it’s so locked into a specific time in the Queen’s culture, […] it’s going to become a very interesting time capsule,” Mitchell said.
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