This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Indie record stores, a Provo pop-rock band, and thriving concert series offered memorable sounds for local music fans — despite playing on a tough economic stage.

A place to play

Although the economic depression continued to shutter clubs, new venues like the Rail Event Center and The Complex picked up the slack and provided a spot for local bands as well as national acts to play in Salt Lake City.

Way beyond compare

Despite disappointment over the year-long postponement of U2's concert, the Wasatch Front was home to some of the most exciting concerts in years, including a whopping 21 at Red Butte Garden. Paul McCartney performed for the first time in Utah, and his thrilling nearly-three-hour show at Rio Tinto Stadium was worth every penny. Other great live performances in 2010 included Josh Ritter at The State Room, Sheryl Crow at Red Butte Garden, and Brandi Carlile's three-night stand at The State Room.

The "Animal" success of Neon Trees

Utah natives such as David Archuleta, Donny and Marie Osmond and Julianne Hough still captured national media attention, highlighted by Archuleta's year-ending Christmas concerts with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Donny & Marie's Broadway Christmas show, and Hough's upcoming "Footloose" turn. But the year's biggest new Utah music success story was the surge of Neon Trees, a pop-rock band from Provo that charted all over the world with its hit "Animal."

Local jazz isn't dead — yet

Financial pressures may have forced the end of the Park City Jazz Festival, but a high-profile gig by "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane at the Salt Lake City Jazz Festival, and the continued success of Caleb Chapman's Crescent Super Band proved that jazz isn't dead yet in Utah. Another sign of the genre's local health: The 25th anniversary of jazz programmer Steve Williams' employment at public radio station KUER, which marked its own 50th anniversary this year.

Got your ditigal CTR ringtones?

Internet radio continued its popularity, while the big local news was the success of YourLDSRadio, which in less than two years experienced its 1 millionth stream.

The scope, and scale, of local sounds

Local record stores such as Slowtrain Records, Graywhale Entertainment and Groovacious Records survived ­— and in some cases thrived — despite the encroachment of big-box retailers and digital downloads. Plus local series such as the Excellence in the Community and the Twilight Concerts, which attracted huge crowds in its first year at Pioneer Park, offered tangible evidence of the scope and scale of Utah's live music audience.

David Burger —