Making Noise: Toronto Public Library's Local Music Project

The singer in a revealingly tight velour bear costume bounces around the stage, screaming hardcore rhymes to the delight of the young people in the crowd. Taking a cue from their enthusiasm, he throws himself onto their upstretched hands and proceeds to crowd surf for a couple of seconds before clambering back to the rest of the band to finish the set. It’s par-forthe-course concert antics for Matt Collins, lead singer for Toronto punk-rap outfit Ninja High School. What’s unusual about this particular display is that it’s not taking place in a dive bar or a concert hall; rather, the boisterous crowd at this show is headbanging and pogoing in the traditionally staid confines of a public library branch.