No judgement: How Normie Corp turned online raving into Vancouver’s liveliest queer club night

Functions is our interview series profiling parties from across the world. This time we meet: Normie Corp

Virtual raving might now be a distant memory that had us desperately attempting to simulate a club experience while sitting in the comfort of our bedrooms during lockdown, but for Normie Corp, it was the foundation for a wild and unexpectedly successful club night. When a group of Vancouver friends came together to throw an online party over Zoom inspired by Club Quarantäne, sharing music and “ferally shaking ass” together online, they noticed a connecting link that they each shared. 

“We realised that all of us were from marginalised communities,” say founders Vin and Haina. “We all have good taste – but why were we not represented in local nightlife?”

When Normie Corp set its sights on in-person parties as restrictions were lifted, one of Vancouver’s wildest and most uplifting queer parties was born, initially hosted in woodlands, parking lots, warehouses and the likes before moving into licensed venues across the city. As it developed, Normie Corp began throwing “hyper-specific” themed events featuring drag performances, live music, dancers, and even a wrestling ring, creating an immersive community experience that filled a hole in Vancouver nightlife.

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Today, Normie Corp also hosts skillshare and mentorship programmes for trans and non-binary creatives, teaching skills in the production and curation of events – a full-circle mission to help its community follow the same path that led Normie Corp to flourish.

We spoke to Normie Corp co-founders Vin, Haina and Pao about their days of online raving, throwing lively parties where judgement is left at the door, and the community projects that help friends and family of Normie Corp to continue the party’s legacy. Check it out below.

What were those initial online events like, and how did they eventually transition into real, in-person parties in Vancouver?

The initial events were held exclusively on Zoom, and it was amazing to see our community do choreography, serve looks, and get up to all sorts of shenanigans to augment the collective experience. Audience members could be seen crocheting, ferally shaking ass, or wearing couture while eating ramen. Our friend and drag artist Maiden China utilised projection mapping, multiple camera angles, and DIY outfits and sculptures to really bring us into a different world while we were sitting at our computers.

When restrictions were lifted, we hosted our first in-real-life event during pride at Dolly Disco. This event was outdoors in a quite beautiful parking lot in the Downtown Eastside. Seeing queer people dancing during sunset hour, some gyrating while atop a beautiful willow tree, was magical to say the least. The rest is history!

Where did the name come from?

We were all normies who worked full-time jobs – a nurse, a visual merchandiser, a barista, and a corporate event producer. We’re thankful that this journey has allowed us to tap into our creative sides, and has inspired others to do the same. ‘Normie’ is often used derogatorily, but very often we are the reason the world is still turning!

You’ve said that you always aim to showcase performers who are “2-spirit, queer and/or trans, Black, Indigenous, and people of colour, as well as women” – how does the inclusivity of a Normie Corp party bring your community together?

I think the world is catching up now, but there are so many hot, funny, talented people out there that don’t get the same opportunities as everyone else. Queer people and people of colour – specifically Black people – have shaped so much of modern culture, and this project has, and always will be, our act of resistance and love letter to our community. Identity politics aside, we are so proud to have cultivated a dancefloor that gives a shit, and can look smexy while doing it.

Where are Normie Corp parties usually held?

When we were first starting, we were throwing them anywhere that would have us – from basements to warehouses to forests. Now, we have great relationships with venues around the city who believe in our vision. While there is no set location, we love bringing our community to different spaces. Most importantly, the venues that we work with have to have culturally competent staff (security, management, bar staff) and a decent soundsystem.

How would you describe the atmosphere of a Normie Corp party? What are the crowds like?

We are all normies-turned-creatives who were bullied throughout our lives. We’re proud to have carved out spaces where anyone can be themselves, and they can wear whatever they want and dance however they want without judgment. The crowds are diverse, hot, and potty-trained.

Can you tell us about some of your favourite events over time?

Kuntfession – an all QTBIPoC line-up, smexifying our religious trauma.

Battle Royale – The first-of-its-kind in Canada, where we brought the wrestling ring and the rave together. Seeing buff straight men wrestle to FKA twigs tickles us like no other.

Come 2 Brazil – One of our liveliest dance parties. We rotate local Brazilian curators for this event, so each one has a unique vibe (they all hit!).

LGBT Soundsystem – A queer emo rave with live bands.

Booty – Our pirate-themed boat party. Financially, it was a flop, but seeing so many QTBIPoC happy on a boat was worth the few thousand that we lost.

How do you go about curating line-ups for each event? What do you look for when booking artists – is there a distinctive Normie Corp sound?

We are club rats and are out every weekend dancing, so are always scouting for artists and thinking of ways to incorporate them into our sometimes hyper-specific themed events. And of course, we’re chronically online, and our friends with amazing taste are giving us recommendations as well.

Regarding sound, we throw dance parties and think that anything goes as long as you’re serving the audience, many of whom paid cover and worked a long week. So when we book someone to DJ a girly pop party and they give experimental sound art, we have to go and dry-heave in the greenroom.

If we had to describe the general sound, it would be zeitgeisty pop, multi-genre club, and ethnic.

You also run skillshare and mentorship programmes for trans and non-binary creatives to learn to produce their own events, can you tell us more about that?

CreativeBC generously believed in our vision when we taught a cohort of six trans and non-binary folks how to organise community events, from curation to budgeting to responding to community conflict. This program was three months long, and they had hands-on experience with community leaders. We’re proud to say that most of them apply their learnings to their work today.

Our next community project will see us connect with elders from Vancouver’s Chinatown, where we will bring together DJs and seniors, and they will share their favourite songs with each other. As queer people, we often don’t have elders, and intergenerational connection is very important to us and integral for a functioning society.

What’s next for Normie Corp?

Our next event is GIDDY UP! on February 20. This party will celebrate the Lunar New Year and Black History Month in classic Normie Corp maximalist fashion: We'll be bringing live music, DJ sets, lion dancers, drag performances, gogos, artist talks, tea ceremonies, and more!

We're looking to expand ourselves beyond nightlife, and the Year of the Double Fire Horse seems like the perfect time to follow our dreams. One of the most rewarding parts of this job is utilising our friends' unique skillsets, whether they are scientists, lawyers, fashion designers, accountants, hairstylists, or healthcare workers. 

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Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on X