Really interesting points being made.
I follow covers bands and originals bands. I do groan when all the standards come out eg "Sex on Fire", "Valerie", "I Shot the Sherriff" etc as I'm done with those kind of songs. I came across a band one time that covered all the songs I forgot I knew from my youth. It was SO refreshing!
So, my advice would be to keep up with the covers bands, we all enjoy dancing and singing to what we know, but leave the standards to the lesser bands and cover the less common but still popular ones. The one I loved the most that I hadn't heard for ages was this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVweiOfGJ5A
Jackie