Every time I see an ad for a cover band or tribute band or a whatever-you-want-to-call-these-impostors band, I think, "Who would want to go see this?"

Is there really some thrill in MELISSA RUGGIERI seeing a guy dressed like Kurt Cobain wail Nirvana songs, knowing that Cobain is dead?

Or maybe that is part of the appeal.

If you can't see the band in its true incarnation anymore - because the members hate the sight of one another (ahem, Guns N' Roses), don't tour much anymore (Michael Jackson) or are, uh, dead (Nirvana, Sublime) - this is the closest you'll ever get.

But how about the doppelgängers of still-vital acts, such as The Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen? Is there a reason I should spend $12 to watch a fake Bruce at Toad's Place next month when the existent Bruce is still selling out arenas?

(Actually, I've seen that Bruce in the U.S.A. tribute show, and Matt Ryan & American Dream are eerily authentic).

The next three months will bring eight (so far) tribute/cover bands to Richmond.

Some have been around for years and truly make the show an experience. (The Machine is another group that incorporates the essence of the original band - in this case, Pink Floyd's light show - into its act.) Others are a little newer.

Since I'm not convinced of the reason for their existence, other than being something to go see on a random weekend, I threw it to you last week to find out whether you intend to see any of these artists and to explain their appeal.

Some of you raised some interesting questions, such as reader J. Holdren, who wondered whether bands that are devoid of a key member - Journey without Steve Perry, Guns N' Roses without Slash, that debacle known as The Doors of the 21st Century - aren't also technically tribute bands.

Good point to ponder.

But Holdren also used Dark Star Orchestra, which "interprets" the music of the Grateful Dead, as an example of a band doing far more than just paying tribute.

"DSO has transported me - much to my surprise, I must admit - to the late 1970s, when I was too young to see the Dead. They can be that good," Holdren said.

Reader Todd Vogel said he initially wasn't planning to see any of the tribute acts passing through, but he was impressed after hearing Appetite for Destruction - the Guns N' Roses impersonators - on the band's MySpace page. He's now thinking of "dragging" his wife to The National on June 20 to check out the band.

Plus, he added, "With Axl [Rose] holed up in his mansion and the other members spread out in other bands, I will be in Depends before the real GN'R cranks up the reunion tour cash machine."

If you're curious about some of these acts, here's a quick summary of who is coming to town: