They say you can't go back, and if you do, you usually regret it, but music-lovers can revel in the past this month with a number of upcoming musical stage shows around the county that pay tribute to musical legacies of yesteryear.

Tribute bands are big business these days, and hundreds of musical re-enactors are flooding the touring circuit to re-create the sights and sounds of the Beatles, Buddy Holly, Neil Diamond and the 40-year anniversary of the Summer of Love. Here's a snapshot of some of the tribute concerts scheduled around North County in the coming days:

* "Rock and Roll Dance Party" -- 8 p.m. Sept. 21 in Escondido. Actor/musician John Mueller heads up the cast of this live music/theater show that re-creates the final date of the Winter Dance Party, the ill-fated winter concert tour that included Buddy Holly, J.T. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and Latino pop star Ritchie Valens. After their concert on Feb. 3, 1959, in Clear Lake, Iowa, the three singers boarded a small charter plane for Fargo, N.D., that crashed shortly after takeoff, killing everyone aboard. Mueller, who played Buddy Holly in the L.A. premiere of "Be Bob A Lula," stars in the production as Holly. Jay P. Richardson Jr., the son of the Big Bopper, steps in to fill his father's shoes. And Ray Anthony, a regular with "Legends of Rock and Roll," stars as Valens. The actor/singers are accompanied by a four-piece onstage band; California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido; $22-$37; (800) 988-4253.

* "Diamond Is Forever" -- 6:30 p.m. Sept. 22 in Vista. Escondido singer/actor David J. Sherry stars in this live tribute show to Neil Diamond, re-creating the pop singer's famous "Love at the Greek" concerts at L.A.'s Greek Theatre in the late 1970s. Sherry has been a Diamond fan since he was 13, and he put together his Diamond tribute show a few years ago to raise money for Escondido's St. Clare's Home. Sherry and his Diamond Is Forever band run through all of Diamond's biggest hits from the 1970s, from "Solitary Man," "Sweet Caroline," "I Am … I Said," to today, and he tells the story behind many of the songs. Sherry is excited about Saturday's concert for two reasons. Vista's Moonlight Amphitheatre is the biggest venue he's ever played, and his sound engineer for this gig will be Randy Sterling, a former member of Diamond's band. Moonlight Amphitheatre, Brengle Terrace Park, 1200 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista; $20-$34; (760) 724-2110.

* "Superstars Tribute Show" -- 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22 in Poway. Imitators of Rock Legends is reaching out to audiences of all ages for its multi-artist tribute show, which will include tributes to Jimmy Buffet, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner and the Blues Brothers. There will also be an appearance by John Travolta (during his "Saturday Night Fever" era), and the show will be hosted by Austin Powers and Roseanne Roseannadanna impersonators. Joining them onstage will be the Blues Doctors Band and the Superstar Dancers. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Escondido Humane Society; Poway Center for the Arts, 15498 Espola Road, Poway; $34, general; $15, children 12 and under; (858) 748-0505 or www.powayperformingarts.com.

* Dead Man's Party -- 8 p.m. Sunday in Solana Beach. Formed in 2001, this nine-piece Southern California band re-creates the 1980s peak years of L.A. ska/pop/rockers Oingo Boingo. Orange County recording engineer Rob Elfaizy stars as the flame-haired lead singer Danny Elfman, and his band includes the horn section of San Diego's Skanic; Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach; $11-$13; (858) 481-8140.

* Lez Zeppelin -- 9 p.m. Sept. 29 in Solana Beach. This New York City-based quartet is billed as the only female rock act to pay tribute to Led Zeppelin. Profiled in the June 2005 issue of Spin Magazine, the band was praised by Spin managing editor Chuck Klosterman as "the most powerful all-female band in rock history." That's a strong statement but the 3-year-old group (singer Sarah McLellan, guitarist/theremin player Steph Paynes, bassist/keyboardist/mandolinist Lisa Brigantino and drummer Helen Destroy) is now touring in support of its self-titled debut CD produced by Eddie Kramer (who has worked with Led Zeppelin, KISS and Jimi Hendrix). So are the bandmates all lesbians as their name implies? Band members refuse to confirm or deny when asked in press interviews; Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach; $14-$16; (858) 481-8140.

* "Queen -- It's a Kinda Magic" -- 8 p.m. Oct. 3 in San Diego. Nobody has ever been able to re-create the multi-octave voice and charismatic stage persona of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of English rock band Queen who died of AIDS in 1991. But an English-Australian stage production that arrives in San Diego next month apparently comes close, if press reports are to be believed. Aussie Craig Pesco stars as Mercury in this high-tech stage show with spectacular lighting effects, elaborate costumes and more than 30 of Queen's biggest hits. San Diego is the fourth date on the band's first U.S. tour; San Diego Civic Theatre, Third Avenue at B Street, San Diego; $49-$69; (619) 220-8497.

* Band in Black -- 9 p.m. Oct. 5 and 9:30 p.m. Oct. 20 in Carlsbad. Vista country singer "Cowboy" Jack Johnson has been performing his tribute shows around North County for nearly a decade. In 1999, he created "The Hank Show," a tribute concert to the late Hank Williams Sr., featuring costumes, themed music and a full band. In 2004, Johnson created the Band in Black, a tribute show to Johnny Cash. Both shows can be seen almost monthly around North County, and Johnson has toured with the show to Branson, Mo., and Las Vegas; 9 p.m. to midnight Oct. 5 at Ocean House, 300 Carlsbad Village Drive; (760) 729-4131; also from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Oct. 20 at Hennessey's, 2777 Roosevelt St. in Carlsbad; (760) 729-6951.