I volunteered at the Straight from the Streets Indy Arts Fest 1998 Live! at the Stone Angel Puzzle # 2

I volunteered at the Straight from the Streets Indy Arts Fest 1998 Live at the Stone Angel.

This jigsaw puzzle was designed to commemorate your efforts as a volunteer in the festival.

In 1998, Noel Carol produced six live shows featuring 14 other indie artists besides himself, in a production called Straight from the Streets. Noel was living as a homeless street busker at the time.

This event took place in Ottawa over a six-week period between January and February, 1998. You might recall the ice storm that had swept through the Ottawa Valley in January. This puzzle, along with other merch that we're creating, is intended to commemorate these events in honor of the volunteers who gave of their time and energy to make this such a memorable event for those artists who performed their original music and spoken word poetry to an appreciative audience, turning this series of events, perceived by many as being an impossible dream, into reality. 

You can listen to and download specific artists songs right here.

You can listen to and download a digital copy of the CD that was produced right here.

Or, if you prefer a physical copy, you can get one or more ordered and shipped directly to you right here.

But things don't stop there.

Straight from the Streets

Why are we making such a fuss about this CD? It's as "grassroots" as it can get, for starters. There is no physical video footage where you can watch any of the performances either. So, why on earth might anyone want to get excited about it? Here's why …

As mentioned above, Noel was a street person when he produced those shows. Unable to generate the cashflow he needed to take things to the next level and get the CD produced, he had no choice but to put the project on the back burner … wayyy back. In fact, it wasn't until 2024 before he finally managed to make that happen.

Since then, he's gotten his life in order to the point that, not only has he succeeded in producing this CD, he's also recorded 10 of his songs, built a website to promote it all, and, last but not least, by any stretch of the imagination, he's written his memoir that dates as far back as 1964, telling about his musical journey, which also includes the very story of how this Indy Arts Fest came about. More on this further down …

There is so much more to this story than what can be shared here. But, to make a long story short:

• if you met him during those months,
• if you performed in any of the six live shows,
• if you volunteered your time to the event,
• if you sponsored the event to any capacity,

you likely were mentioned in Chapter Sixteen, titled "School of Hard Knocks". So, be sure to add to the history that you became part of by cheering Noel on further by supporting, not only his musical journey, but the journeys of 14 other indie artists that you likely have not ever heard of. How can you do that, exactly? 

To begin with, listen to snippets of the 15 songs, recorded Live! off the floor right here. Please don't hesitate to order the complete CD, whether digitally or physically. Individual artist's song downloads can be purchased, too. This will directly impact each artist directly.

Watch Noel's YT video right here, detailing the writing of Chapter 23 (Left Unread) of his just-released book of the same title: LEFT UNREAD The Stories Behind the Songs of Noel Carol.

Yeah, he's since written his memoir. 30 chapters of song-inspired stories that date as far back as 1964. The story of "Straight from the Streets Indy Arts Fest" that took place in '98 is told in Chapter Sixteen. As I said, if you met him during that part of his life, chances are fairly good that he mentioned you in that chapter.

Yes, the complete, incredible story behind the creation of this CD can be found in Chapter Sixteen of Noel's recently published memoir, Left Unread | The Stories Behind the Songs of Noel Carol, and is now available in e-Book, Paperback, and Hard Cover.

Jigsaw Puzzle with Tin

Made with high-quality chipboard pieces, this 1000-piece puzzle is great for teens and adults. All puzzles ship in gift-ready metal boxes for a show-stopping presentation.

Please note: this product is not intended for ages 4 - 12 years (choking hazard).
 .: Custom puzzle made with pre-die-cut chipboard
.: Glossy finish
.: 1000 precise-interlocking pieces
.: Uniformly cut non-edge pieces
.: Comes in a white metal tin box
.: Finished image on the tin box cover
.: Please note: The puzzle box features a full-bleed design, while elements outside the safe area on the puzzle itself may be cut off

EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY

Product information: Generic brand, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC

Care instructions: Wipe the dirt or dust off gently with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.