Origins of the PDK - Pet de Kat Krewe

Once upon a time, there were some friends named Alan, Joe, Mike, Steve, and Carol who shared a deep love of music. They spent countless nights attending concerts and festivals, and their adventures often took them to venues far and wide.

One fateful night, the friends found themselves at the Stephen Talkhouse in Miami Beach, a legendary music venue that had played host to countless bands over the years. The likes of The Radiators, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Terrance Simien, George Porter and Running Pardners, among dozens of others. would be booked at the club every week. As these friends danced and grooved to the music, Alan and Mike couldn't help but notice Steve's unique style. He seemed to be petting an invisible cat as he moved, his hands making smooth, flowing motions that mimicked the graceful movements of a feline.

Intrigued, they asked him about it, and Steve said he was unaware of any dance move. The friends laughed and joked about it, calling him the "cat whisperer."

But soon, they found themselves incorporating Steve's dance moves into their own repertoire, and before they knew it, they were all dancing like cats. They started calling themselves the "Pet de Kat Krewe," as a nod to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival which called their workers at Jazz Fest workers a different krewe name such as the Gator Krewe.

As they continued to attend concerts and festivals together, they brought their Pet de Kat Krewe with them, inviting others to join in the fun and adopt their cat like dance moves. They even started carrying around a "spirit stick," a brightly decorated staff that was brought to shows and festivals, members adding their own decorations and energy to it.

The spirit stick became a beloved symbol of the Pet de Kat Krewe, and launched Joe into Big Chief Pony Dancer fame thanks to a hobby horse head topping his spirit stick.

Over the years, the Pet de Kat Krewe continued to grow and evolve, spreading their love of music and cats to fans all over the country. The spirit stick hung from the ceiling at Tobacco Road in Miami for many years, a testament to the group's enduring love of live music. And Steve, Alan, Joe, Mike, and Carol remained at the heart of it all, always ready to welcome a new member into the fold.

as told by GPT-4