It was the most memorable poster tagline from an otherwise forgettable film: “Jaws: The Revenge … This Time It’s Personal.”

Venues vs. venues, struggling for survival in the murky waters of COVID-19.

The competition appears to be heating up:

Via the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre, live-streamed portal with A Tribute to the Moody Blues from London, and a presentation by Jim Brickman from his home.

Live-streamed from the Downtown Theatre in Fairfield, there’s Drew Harrsion doing his John Lennon, Latin jazz with Pete Escovedo, the soulness of Fairfield’s own Lenny Williams, rocker Eric Martin, and slide guitarist and Vallejo native Roy Rogers.

At the Empress Theatre in downtown Vallejo, a Christmas show with VOENA with Italian guitarist Peppino D’Agostino is in the books.

Sure, there was only so much recreational dollars to go around pre-COVID. But now, with a lot of shows free, is it really personal?

Well, “yes and no,” says Kevin Frazier, co-founder with Jeff Trager of Frazier Trager Presents that’s bringing the shows to the Downtown Theater and VOENA to the Empress.

“Even though you’re hitting a global audience with live-streaming, at some point, the audience will burn out,” Frazier said. “And you don’t want to have two performers in the same vicinity if you’re just streaming. Any artist that plays too much, too often, you’re going to run into a point of no return. That’s why most tours (during “normal” times) are spaced out.”

While in-person performances with a real audience remain banned in Solano County, the 499-seat Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre is promoting several virtual events that promote the theatre, said Rachel Morgan, VPAT’s general manager.

The VPAT lineup includes Go Now! The Music of  Moody Blues founded by former Moody Blues drummer Gordon Marshall, set for Oct. 17 from the Harlequin Theatre in London, with Brickman delivering a Dec. 10 holiday show, “Comfort & Joy of Home.”

“How this works — using Brickman as the example — he will be performing a full set at his own location and it will be available to our patron’s via specific venue link,” Morgan explained. “The theatre will receive a portion of the ticket sales. We are seeing more and more artists moving to this format almost daily and it allows a venue to stay relevant as well as connected with the community, think green screen and our stage behind the artist.”

Morgan added that a local arts group, Starbound, is doing a lot of master classes live-streamed.

“Some of what they are doing looks cool,” she said.

In addition to VOENA, the Empress presents “Dark Divide,” a film shown online only Oct. 9 about a butterfly expert. The venue’s also working on an appropriate Halloween movie “and we are trying to put together an Empress Benefit with a series of musicians onstage like we have done with hurricanes, earthquakes and ailing musicians,” said Susan MacDonald, Vallejo Community Arts Foundation board member.

“We are also planning some outdoor dinner and music as soon as we can get the city to give us permission,” MacDonald added.

Frazier, though happy “hitting all the different genres” in the booked shows, is wary on offering too many concerts.

“Honestly, I don’t know how much longer streaming will be offered,” he said. “People are already complaining about it; that it’s not the same as the real thing.”

The competition grows daily, Frazier said.

“I did a Google search. Almost every venue that can do it is doing it,” he said. “All the major artists are doing live-stream on Instagram or Facebook. Everybody’s doing it. And big artists have sponsors backing them up.”

The shows at the Downtown Theatre are free as Frazier Trager hopes viewers donate at some point during the presentation. Frazier does understand how Brickman can get big-time admission costs at his live-streamed shows.

“Lots of major acts are charging hefty price tags. They’ve created their name already and have an established base,” Frazier said. “It’s the only way their music can be consumed right now and people are willing to pay for it. There are no other options.”

Actually, there is one other option: Drive-up concerts, with Mr. Hat Presents offering live shows at the Solano County Fairgrounds starting this Saturday with a $99 cost per vehicle.

“The band’s on stage, you’re in your car and can step outside to dance a bit, though you still have to have a mask. It’s the next closest thing to normal,” Frazier said, inspired by Drew Harrison’s “Beatles & More” live-stream performance from the Downtown Theatre last month.

Some 1,100 watched at least some of the performance live and that blossomed to 5,600 the next day, Frazier said, with donations enough to make all participants some cash and justifying offering the show for free.

It’s the only way to go, Frazier said, “with the financial climate of the United States — the world, really. I have really close friends who are struggling who have never struggled before. My biggest concern is the economy. Entertainers have to be paid. Venues need to survive. You don’t want to get to a place where people can’t even afford to tip.”

The eventual challenge, reiterated Frazier, “is going to be burning people out at some point; that there’s going to be an over-saturation of digital media.”

The major benefit of live-stream is people can be anywhere, Frazier said.

“The freedom of being any place is pretty cool. You can be at a camp site or in your RV. As long as you have a signal,” Frazier said.

People will always yearn to be in person for a concert, Frazier said.

“We’re creatures that like to be together to socialize,” he said. “And we don’t know how long this is going to last. I think we’re all going to be doing social distancing at least into next year. And when it’s over, I don’t want to think about doing this ever again.”

For more information about local live-streamed events, visit vpat.net, ftpresents.com, and empresstheatre.org.