But the Black Cat kept rocking. This weekend, the club celebrates its 25th anniversary with two nights of shows by D.C. rock luminaries, including Ted Leo and Mary Timony.

The black cat has also been associated with witches since the medieval period in Europe. Which is why you may see a black cat drawn with a witch in modern Halloween decorations.

More omen than an animal, in myth and collective consciousness, the black cat maintains a position of suspicion alongside Friday the 13th, sidewalk cracks, broken mirrors and tails-up pennies. On ...