I do hear ya. I played in cover bands a couple of times over the years when things were lean, and I know what you mean about the crowd reaction. But I could not make that a long-term solution, not for me; I just could never be happy playing other people's music for any kind of extended period of time, and when the original music route hit a dead-end I changed course and pursued a more traditional "career."
I have friends that have been very successful in the music industry. Some well-known names. And I saw how hard they worked to get where they are , so I definitely get what goes into it. Total, 100%, unwavering commitment to what you are doing, and never deviating from putting your own music out there. But I also have known people who put the same level of commitment into what they were doing and never became household names, who struggled by for years trying to build an audience, and in the end it wasn't so pretty. Just saying, it's not just hard work, some things really do need to break your way.