Rising country music star Matt Stell is hitting the road this weekend, February 26th, to kick off his Everywhere But Home Tour.

Starting in Hollywood, Florida, Matt Stell, Chris Bandi and Teddy Robb will be touring the lower South East, ending in Tennessee. See his Florida dates below.

FEB 26 2021 The StockyardHoliday, FL

FEB 27 2021 The RanchFort Myers, FL

MAR 19 2021Marathon Music Works Nashville, TN

MAR 20 2021The Signal Chattanooga, TN

APR 09 2021 Southern Social Whiskey Bar & Lounge Middleburg, FL

APR 10 2021 The Barn Sandford, FL

APR 22 2021 Old School Square (The Pavilion) Delray Beach, FL

Local COVID-19 guidelines will be in place.

The TSA posted their annual list of Thanksgiving Day foods allowed through security. Whole foods like turkey, ham, stuffing is allowed on your carry on. Things like mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and gravy, won’t make it through the TSA check point but you can put them in your checked bags.

Here’s five foods you can take in your carry on:

1. Meats like Turkey or Ham. Frozen, raw or cooked are allowed.
2. Stuffing
3. Casseroles
4. Fresh vegetables and fruit
5. Baked goods like pies, cookies, cakes and brownies.

Here’s five foods you can’t bring in your carry on, but can go in your checked luggage:

1. Mashed potatoes – whole potatoes are fine, but once mashed they’re not considered a ‘whole’ food anymore.
2. Cranberry sauce
3. Gravy
4. Canned fruit and vegetables
5. Wine and other alcohol unless it’s purchased from a duty-free store at the airport.

For a full list check out tsa.gov

Wednesday, November 11^th is Veteran’s Day, and America’s active duty military members and veterans can enjoy some of the perks of having served with some free and steeply discounted meals at restaurants in and around Gainesville.

7-Eleven

Active duty, retired, veteran, guard, reservists and family members get a free coffee or Big Gulp on Wednesday, November 11^th. Dine in only.

Bob Evans

Veterans and active-duty military get a free meal from a select menu on November 11^th. Dine in only, beverages not included.

Bonefish Grill

All service members, veterans and first responders can enjoy the ‘Heroes Discount’, 10% off their bill on Wednesday, November 11^th with valid ID.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Veterans and active-duty service members get a free order of 10 boneless wings and fries on Wednesday, November 11^th. This is available for dine-in or take-out.

Chili’s

Veterans and active-duty service members can get a free meal from a select menu on Wednesday, November 11^th. You can choose from items like chicken crispers, Cajun chicken pasta, and an Oldtimer burger with cheese. This offer is only available for dine-in.

Cracker Barrel

Veterans and active-duty service members can enjoy a free slice of the Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake.

Golden Corral

Golden Corral is offering free meal and beverage cards to all active duty and veterans from now until November 30^th. The card will be valid for one use from now until May 31^st for lunch or dinner Monday through Thursday.

Hooters

All veterans and active-duty personnel can get 10 free wings with any 10 purchased on November 11^th. Military ID or proof of service is required at participating locations.

Metro Diner

If you’re active or retired military with a valid military ID you can get 50% off of your bill on Wednesday, November 11^th. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the diner.

Outback Steakhouse

Active or retired service members can get a free Bloomin’ Onion and Coke product on Wednesday, November 11^th. Customers also have the opportunity to round up their check for Operation Homefront until the end of the year.

Also note that Outback Steakhouse offers a hero’s discount daily – all servicemen and women, police officers, firefighters and first responders get 10% off their bill all day, every day with a valid state or federal service ID.

Pilot Flying J

In celebration of Veterans Day, the Pilot Flying J will offer all veterans one free breakfast combo from November 9^th-15^th (valid at all participating U.S. and Flying J Travel Center locations). The breakfast combo includes a free pilot coffee of any size, one free breakfast offering, like a French Toast Sausage or Egg and Cheese sandwich. The Veterans Day breakfast combo is available on the Pilot Flying J app.

Red Lobster

On November 11^th, Red Lobster will honor veterans, active-duty military and reservists with a valid military ID with a free appetizer or dessert.

Other Military Discounts

CVS

Join veterans advantage to save 20% and get free shipping.

Goodyear Auto Service and Just Tire

From November 8^th-16^th, Goodyear Auto Service and Just Tire locations are offering active and retired military members free car care checks and free tire installation.

Great Clips

This Veterans Day, any customer who go to a U.S. Great Clips Salon will receive a free haircut card to give to any active/inactive/retired military member. Veterans can also visit any U.S. Great Clips salon on Wednesday, November 11^th to get a free haircut that day or a free haircut card for later use. Haircuts will be redeemable until December 11^th.

Harley Davidson

Harley Davidson is offering various military support benefits including special stateside military financing, including no down payment, reduced rates and flexible term options for active-duty military.

Home Depot

All military personnel can receive a 10% discount with valid military ID. 

Lowe’s

Lowe’s offers a 10% discount to veterans every day. Sign up for a My Lowe’s account to verify your credentials.

Rack Room Shoes

Military personal and their dependents can get 10% off their entire purchase on Veterans Day, Memorial Day and July 4^th.

Target 

All military personnel, veterans, and their families can receive 10% their entire purchase through November 11^th.

Boston Market

Boston Market will treat voters to one free slider from 9 p.m. until close at all their locations nationwide on Tuesday, November 3^rd, no purchase necessary. Slider Options include: Chicken Cheddar, Turkey Cheddar, Chicken Chipotle or BBQ Meatloaf.

Grubhub

Grubhub users can take advantage of all sorts of deals on Tuesday, November 3^rd, with deals ranging from free delivery to discounts. Red Lobster will be offering free delivery on orders over $25, and 7-11 will have free delivery on orders over $15, same with BurgerFi. Burger King is offering $3 off $18 or more orders, California Pizza Kitchen fanatics can get $10 off their order of $30 or more. There’s other participating restaurants like Hooters to PF Chang’s, and many more.

Krispy Kreme

Visit any participating Krispy Kreme on November 3^rd for a free original glazed doughnut. No proof of voting is required for the freebie, either, anyone gets to enjoy this sweet treat. Krispy Kreme will also hand out ‘I Voted’ stickers to honor those who mailed in their ballot this year.

Jimmy John’s

Jimmy John’s is offering BOGO 50% off 8-inch or 16-inch sandwiches through November 8^th. Use promo code RMN at checkout if ordering online.

Chili’s

Chili’s is offering up $5 Presidente Margarita until November 3^rd. This is available for dine-in or to-go and you’ll receive an Chili’s ‘I Voted’ sticker.

McAlister’s Deli

Join McAlister’s Rewards loyalty program and download their app for a ‘Buy One, Get One Free’ sandwich coupon that will be added to your account November 3^rd.

Uber

While Uber’s ‘Get Out the Vote’ has been around for a while now, Uber is amping things up in 2020. Uber is offering 50% off round-trip rides to and from the polls – up to $7 each way or $14 round-trip for cars, bikes and scooters. Check out the Uber app to find your correct polling location.

Lyft

Lyft’s ‘Ride the Vote’ initiative offers riders 50% off one ride up to $10 to any polling location or drop box on election day. Use the code ‘2020VOTE’ when you request a ride.

Hertz

Hertz wants to help get you to the polls with their ‘Drive the Vote’ initiative. This promotion includes one free day when you pick up on either November 2^nd or 3^rd. At least a two-day rental is required at participating neighborhood locations. Use the code ‘210350’ when reserving your rental car.

Matt is a very impressive young man, indeed. He went to college on a basketball scholarship and played 4 years. He is very tall so that shouldn’t be too surprising. After college he worked farming and construction jobs while studying for a master’s degree in communications at the University of Arkansas. A medical mission’s trip to Haiti inspired him to apply to a post-baccalaureate premedical program to complete pre-med coursework not taken as a religion and philosophy major. He applied to Harvard University’s Extension School part-time pre-med program, and he was accepted. But in 2014, shortly before the program would have begun, he had the opportunity to sign a publishing deal with Wide Open Music, and he chose music over starting the part-time pre-med program. Let’s repeat that…he chose music over Harvard?

Music was his passion and in the 2010’s he released independent music and played many gigs. He moved to Nashville in 2014 and signed a publishing deal soon later. He released “I Prayed For You” in 2018 which Rolling Stone Magazine named it one of the “top 10 country songs to hear now”. It reached #36 on the Billboard Charts. Listen to it here:

It caught the attention of CEO of Jive Records and was signed to a record deal in 2018. He went on to open for great artists like Luke Bryan and Eric Church.

Still very new to today’s country air play but I am interested to see how far he will go. Tune into 103.7 The Gator each day to hear more from Matt Stell.

This week I thought we should give a little attention to this amazing new artist professionally known as Hardy. Like most of the artists on air, he started his career as a song writer. He has a passion for writing music and even graduated Middle Tennessee State University with a song writing degree. After moving to Nashville to pursue song writing he got a big break writing with Florida Georgia Line. He wrote the song “Up Down” by Morgan Wallen and FGL and it got so much attention that he was then signed by Big Loud Records in 2018. His career is taking off like a shot. He immediately released an EP entitled “This Ole Boy” followed up by the single “Rednecker” and a new EP called “Where to Find Me”. “Rednecker” is a great song.

Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn2RBKPMpU0

Hardy also co-wrote Florida Georgia Line’s singles “Simple” and “Talk You Out of It”, Blake Shelton’s singles “God’s Country” and “Hell Right”, “Drop” by Dallas Smith, along with Chris Lane’s single “I Don’t Know About You”.

In September 2019, Hardy released a collaborative album titled Hixtape, Vol. 1, which featured a total of 17 artists including Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, Tracy Lawrence, Jake Owen, Trace Adkins, Joe Diffie, Zakk Wylde, Cole Swindell, Dustin Lynch, and Morgan Wallen.  (RIP Joe Diffie)

Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWN8R1xw8IA&list=PLmoOJX8ck0EN_ZmEBS44wfN5_hloMao4n

This collection has my new favorite song: “One Beer” featuring Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson and I love to jam out to it while listening to 1037 The Gator. Hardy was set to be on tour with Thomas Rhett in 2020 for Rhett’s Center Point Road Tour, but the tour was postponed in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic. That is definitely a concert I do not want to miss. Hurry up 2021…We need to jam!

I am very excited to do this week’s blog on Taylor Swift. She is absolutely one of my favorite artists and although she has mainly been doing mainstream music these days, she has country roots and a new country song entitled “Betty”.

A little backstory on Taylor Swift and her drive in which she did not take no for an answer. Determined to make her dreams come true. Her family relocated to Nashville in 2004 when Taylor was just 14 years old. At the Bluebird Café in Nashville, she caught the attention of Scott Bruschetta of Big Machine Records. I have been to the Bluebird Café. They have amateur Sundays where new talent can go and show off their skills. Other nights they have well known song writers from all genres playing their tunes and sharing the stories behind the music. It is so interesting to meet the song writer behind many years of music’s top hits. Now, I have mentioned Scott before as he is also represents Rascal Flatts and Florida Georgia Line. She caught his eye. Swift was the youngest to be signed to a label at just 15 years old. Other record labels thought Scott was making a mistake signing her and they received some ridicule but who is laughing now? In 2006 she released her debut album which was the longest charted album in the 2000’s on the Billboard 200. Its third single, “Our Song”, made her the youngest person to single-handedly write and perform a number-one song on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. Swift’s breakthrough second studio album, Fearless (2008), won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and has been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America. It yielded the Billboard Hot 100 top-five singles “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me”.

My Taylor experience includes taking my teenage daughter to one of her shows and I was blown away by how multi-talented she is. I became a lifelong fan that day. Not only does she play the piano, guitar, harmonica, banjo but you may not know this but she plays the harp as well. What I loved most about the show was how she did the second part of her show in the back of the stadium giving those of us in faraway seats a first row experience.

Now, I could go on and on about her many accolades in her amazing career but what I am excited about is her new country song (it’s been a few years since a new country song came our way) This song is off her new album entitled “Folklore” which just won the number one spot making this her 7^th number one album on the Billboard 200 chart. The song is entitled “Betty” give it a listen here:

Check her out on Netflix as well. She has a few of her concerts available and they are amazing. So glad to have a new Taylor song back on Country Radio.

This week’s blog is about singer, song writer, rapper, entrepreneur, and professional golfer, Colt Ford. I had the pleasure of meeting him recently right before the COVID shut down. I wanted to share with you some things that not even I knew about him. He co-wrote Jason Aldean’s number 1 song “Dirt Road Anthem” with Brantley Gilbert and Brantley Gilbert’s number 1 song “Country Must Be Country Wide” He is a man of many talents, indeed. Professional Golfer? Earlier this year, Colt captured closest to the pin at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am and won $100,000 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. St. Jude is my favorite charity and I love that he is in support as well. What’s my first impression of Colt? He has to be one of the most down to earth men in the biz. A real genuine and talented guy.

He is into collaboration for sure. He has songs featuring artists like:

James Otto “Chicken and Biscuits” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-VPYMZ94TY

John Michael Montgomery “Ride Through the Country” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pee07DX6tXw

Tim McGraw “Twisted” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sExx4DXNlmI

Keith Urban “She’s Like” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVoDL0VUbFk

Jake Owen “Back” just to name a few. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KWZQgdZOmk

So, what is he up to now? He has been writing and releasing new music including this one called “Back To Them Backroads” features #1 hit maker Jimmie Allen and found on his new album “We the People”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt7YjfhivP0  and a new “social distance”: record called “Chicken & Distance”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OneURBhOtY0&feature=youtu.be

And as with most artists these days, he had to postpone his tour, sadly. In fact, the night I caught up with him at The Knockin’ Boots Saloon here in Gainesville, was his second to last show due to COVID. I got a little video with him. Teehee…I got him to say GO GATORS a few times (he is a Bulldog fan). Check it out: https://www.facebook.com/beckyd1037/videos/913624655783175/

Great news, he has joined the Drive-in Show circuit so perhaps we will see him again soon.

Becky D and Colt Ford

Don’t you just love his Britney Spears shirt?

Becky D’s Nashville Blog-Jake Owen

This week’s blog is about Jake Owen. Yes, I have a back story. The year was 2011. I was a promoter at THE Country Western Night Club in Florida, The Round Up. Barefoot Blue Jean Night just hit number 1 when Jake came to perform. It was PACKED! Since Jake was back in Florida, as he was born in Winter Haven (just 3 hours from the venue), his family joined. One in particular was his TWIN brother. Yes, Jake has a twin brother, Jarrod Owen. They are not identical twins but twins non-the-less. Total opposites too. Jake is outgoing and a great performer and his brother is a little shy and does not sing.

Jake brought Jarrod up on stage that night to sing with him. I think my favorite memory of the night was watching Jake with his then Fiancé, Lacy Buchanan. Before he went on stage, the prayed together. They were so sweet. I was so sad to hear of their divorce because if you got to see the two together, they were so in love.  She is featured in his Barefoot Blue Jean Night video: https://youtu.be/aRh-vBOS-dU Still my favorite all time song. I got to meet Jake after the show and he is a total sweetheart and loves to have fun.

What is Jake up to these days? What isn’t he doing?

Spending time with family. He recently posted a video of his daughter Pearl and himself belting it out together. Too Cute. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBqb1ILF3Tp/?utm_source=ig_embed In April he welcomed to the world his second daughter, Paris with his girlfriend, Ericka.

A Podcast called Good Company: Listen in as he is so much fun. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/834-good-company-with-jake-owe-28671523/

And now a movie? Get this….he is also dabbling in acting. He is currently featured in a movie called     The Friend being filmed in Alabama and stars Dakota Johnson and Casey Affleck. Looking forward to seeing his acting skills. He says about this adventure: “I have always been intrigued by challenging myself to do things I am not necessarily comfortable with. No one hired me for this because they saw me act in a film before. I think they’re putting faith in me that I can do this, and that gives me some energy.”

The Swamp Restaurant is closing it’s doors June 30, 2020. After “many failed attempts to negotiate with our current landlord, The Swamp Restaurant will be closing our doors on Tuesday June 30th, 2020. A development group is purchasing the land and building a high rise apartment complex.
This is just a small glitch, the good news is that we have plans to open a new Swamp in the same location in approximately 18 months.” The Swamp Restaurant wrote on their Facebook page Tuesday afternoon.

If you are interested in one last showdown inside The Swamp, they will have “stacked specials” all week, according to their Facebook page.