I too feel that cover bands nail the vibe of the original. I live in a metro, but I've had a hard time figuring out when and where cover bands play. Some bands don't even have a website.
How do you find out when a cover band of your favorite artist is playing in your city?
ask around in the relevant communities (underground clubs, other relevant venues, zines, pubs)
usually you end up with a few Facebook links
not ideal, but eventually you will know which cover bands are even worth looking out for, and where they would play, so you can monitor sites of the venues
How do you find out when a cover band of your favorite artist is playing in your city?