One of Charleston's best-loved acts, Cabaret Kiki, is headed to Chicago in hopes of making it big. Not that they weren't pretty big on the local scene. The burlesque-inspired variety show, the child of brothers Matt and Evan Bivins of Jump, Little Children fame, drew both critical and popular acclaim on the local level. Charleston City Paper tells more about the reasons for the move northward:

Cabaret Kiki may be, commercially speaking, a gold mine waiting to happen. It's a variety show for the 21st century. Its core is the rock band fronted by singers Matt Bivins and Cary Ann Hearst, who embody alter egos whose love for each other alternates with their hate.

...

It's this double nature — art with the burlesque, the familiar with the new, characters who are evidently co-dependent — that contributes to making Kiki so appealing. And it's what could make it a profitable enterprise.

Problem is, the Bivins don't know how.

That's why they're heading for Chicago.

The artistic energy of the group and its creators will definitely be missed here in the Holy City. But best wishes in the venture, and I have to ask this question: Who's ready to step up and fill the void?