Birthday Party vs. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (vs. Grinderman!), Negative Approach vs. Laughing Hyenas, Mudhoney Vs. U-Men, Devo vs. Sparks, MC5 vs. the Stooges.

I can go on and on. Tribute bands for those who missed any past bands (i.e. Fugazi) just makes sense if you were not born at the right time.

For the same reason people are packing theaters for the crappy The Force Awakens. Nostalgia is a powerful force.

here's a reason: it sounds like it will be fun.

more fun than seeing 3 bands you don't know play songs you don't know, and probably songs that kinda suck.

They're popular for all the exact same reasons that every single movie/tv franchise is being rebooted.

We've all delved so deeply into our fractured communities, mostly online but in "RL" too, that even participating in anything, even media consumption, with people who have a different socio-political ideas than you, has become "problematic". Even challenging ideas has now become anathema. It's the exact same reason we see American Comfort Food restaurants popping up everywhere. It used to be all "Sushi/Fusion/etc" now it's god damned overpriced cheeseburgers and mac&cheese.

Bowie Coverbands and the Mac & Cheese of music.

I was driving through Portland when an advertisement came on promoting a tribute band for Outkast. OUTKAST!!?? Da fuck.