For a little college, Dixie State attracts some big names in entertainment. This month, country superstar Travis Tritt and up-and-coming singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat will perform on the school’s stages. Tritt is live, in concert, Thursday, Feb. 18, at DSC’s Burns Arena. Then, Friday, Feb. 26, Caillat plays the Cox Auditorium. Both shows begin at 7:30 p.m.

Over the course of his 15-year career, Tritt has delighted fans and disarmed critics by exploring his deep love of hardcore country, flashing an ability and affinity for bluegrass, revealing unexpected sensitivity as a balladeer, winning respect as a formidable songwriter and, most emphatically, drawing widespread recognition as one of the finest vocalists the genre has ever known.

"Dude, I knew you could sing, but I had no idea you could do that blue-eyed soul thing!"

Producer Randy Jackson paid that compliment to Travis Tritt, after recording a duet between Tritt and soul man Sam Moore for Moore's 2006 album, Overnight Sensational. Then he made a suggestion. "If you ever want to do an album that puts a bigger spotlight on that," Jackson said, "I'd love to work on it with you."

The end result of that conversation is The Storm, Tritt's widely-praised 2007 release. Tritt and Jackson teamed up to create a powerhouse collection of songs that emphasize the irresistible soul side of Tritt's singing. It's a card that has always been in Tritt's stylistic deck, but one that has often been overlooked by listeners unfamiliar with the deep musical links between country and R&B, particularly in the South.

"Growing up just outside Atlanta, to the north of us you've got the Grand Ol' Opry in Nashville," Tritt explains. "A little bit south, you've got Macon, Georgia - home of the Allman Brothers, the Marshall Tucker Band and Capricorn Records. And off to the west, you've got Delta blues. Sprinkle Southern gospel over the top of that, and you're talking about where I came from. I loved all of that music."

Meanwhile, Colbie Caillat is a California girl, through and through. With long blonde hair, dusky vocals and acoustic guitar, her image and her music reflect her upbringing.

As Caillat told USA Today, “My songs are optimistic and bright. I grew up in southern California and Hawaii. The lifestyle was laid back, and I listened to mellow, positive music, like Bob Marley and Jack Johnson. So I think that’s all inside me. I’m happy, and that gets expressed in my music.”

Little more than a year after the release of her nearly double platinum debut album “CoCo,” Caillat has so quickly made such an enduring impact that USA Today declared the California girl a vital part of “a new wave of troubadours luring fans of all ages into a peaceful, easy feeling.” The national newspaper puts her in the company of other platinum plus artists like Sara Bareilles, Caillat’s musical hero Jack Johnson, and her good friend and duet partner, Jason Mraz.
                “CoCo” debuted at No. 5 on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart and remained in the chart’s top 20 for more than half a year after the CD’s release. “Bubbly” spent a staggering 14 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Top 40 chart and four weeks atop the Adult Contemporary chart. “Bubbly” has also been certified platinum, signaling sales of more than 2.6 million downloads. Second single, “Realize,” about a friend who was secretly in love with Caillat, was also a huge hit. And the third is proving to be the charm as “Little Things” is following the path of its predecessors.

Also, as a late addition to the show, Justin Kawika Young is opening for Caillat. Rising from the beautiful beaches and warm tropical atmosphere of the Hawaiian Islands, Young is a poised recording artist with national appeal, potential, and aspirations. At a young age, he has already experienced success in the Hawaiian music scene and has released three albums. Shades of the laid-back lifestyle of the islands can be sensed in his mellow, relaxing, and soulful songs that combine old and new sounds.

Tickets for both shows start at $29.99 and are available at www.southernutahtickets.com or by calling 435-652-7800. To learn more about Caillat, visit www.colbiecaillat.com. Tritt fans can find him online at www.travistritt.com. Learn about Justin Young at www.justinsmusic.com.