Nest Sessions: Matthew Logan Vasquez on Botched Vasectomies

Summary

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Flightless Bird – "Nest Sessions: Matthew Logan Vasquez on Botched Vasectomies"

Podcast: Flightless Bird
Host: David Farrier
Guests: Rob Hollis (cohost), Emily Kinney, Matthew Logan Vasquez
Release Date: July 2, 2026

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Episode Overview

This "Nest Sessions" episode of Flightless Bird features musician Matthew Logan Vasquez (Delta Spirit) in a candid, humorous, and ultimately moving discussion about American health care, vasectomy gone wrong, masculinity, and cross-cultural confusion. The conversation meanders between deeply personal health struggles, the oddities of U.S. medical insurance, the joys and hazards of touring life, and treasured American food traditions. Interlaced are musical performances, playful banter about birds, and cultural exchanges between American and Kiwi perspectives.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Matthew Logan Vasquez (00:20–08:00)

• Background: Vasquez explains his three-name moniker due to the commonality of "Matt Vasquez" and affinity for the cowboyish "Logan."
• Music Career: Discusses Delta Spirit's tours and the band's hiatus, solo performing, and the struggles and camaraderie of being a working musician.
• Connection to Hosts: Details his and Emily Kinney’s long friendship, bonded through music gigs, podcast appearances, and even pandemic-era Zoom game nights.

Notable Quote:

“That's why I have three names, is because Matt Vasquez is like John Smith. ... I like Logan because it's a cowboy name and that's fun.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (00:20)

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2. Touring Life, Sobriety, and Friendship (04:21–06:37)

• Touring as a Young Musician: Vasquez recalls chaotic solo tours, heavy drinking, and the challenge of running a tour as a “crazy alcoholic.”
• Sobriety: He shares hitting “rock bottom” in 2018, ending a relationship, losing access to his children, and choosing sobriety.

Notable Quote:

“I could do so many things functionally being drunk, but like the micro stuff, like tagging the appropriate person ... just at some point I realized, well, whatever money you gave me is probably fine.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (04:21)

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3. The American Healthcare Maze (10:26–15:14)

• Health Insurance in Texas: Vasquez pays around $800/month for a family plan (“two adults, two kids”), but still faces enormous barriers to care, from endless phone calls to unclear insurance coverages.
• Finding a Doctor: The group commiserates over how difficult it is to find any doctor willing to accept their insurance. Even after getting care, “surprise bills” remain common.

Notable Quote:

“I'm at the point now, honestly, where I just go, oh, come and get me. Try to collect. I have a homestead so ... they can't come collect my house.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (12:44)

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4. Surviving a Botched Vasectomy (13:20–30:24)

The Procedure and Immediate Aftermath (13:20–17:13)

• Decision for Vasectomy: After deciding on no more children and being in the “shape of [his] life,” Vasquez expects a simple procedure. Instead, he finds the vasectomy is far from routine.
• Pain & Healing: He endures a week of severe pain, closely monitored pain medication due to prior addiction struggles, and overall anxiety.

“Getting a vasectomy is not getting your ears pierced at the mall. ... It hurts for like a week.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (13:20)

Complications and Infection (16:37–23:08)

• Multiple Infections: A month after surgery, Vasquez is hit with groin pain and “scrotal infection.” Despite repeated antibiotics, infections return.
• Medical Dismissal: His original urologist minimizes the complications, suggesting he worked out too soon—which he denies.
• Malpractice Realization: After a third infection and ER visit, even nurses advise him to consider legal action. An ultrasound later reveals his vas deferens was “sewed too high up” or incorrectly, cutting off circulation and causing blood to pool and infection to spread.

“It was like a grenade had gone off in that zone ... the only solution is to take it out.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (20:14)

Testicle Removal and Aftermath (23:32–30:29)

• Surgical Removal: Surgery reveals irreversible damage—his left testicle must be removed. Vasquez learns this only after waking up, as the surgeon “didn’t want to proceed without discussion.”
• Insurance & Legal Limbo: Attempts to sue are thwarted by restrictive Texas malpractice laws. Strangely, bills for the botched procedures simply vanish, possibly due to behind-the-scenes negotiations.

“I gave up my left nut for this whole situation.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (22:47)

• Physical & Emotional Recovery: Considers getting a prosthetic but decides against it. Experiences both a psychological and metabolic shift post-surgery—serenity mixed with more lethargy. Discusses ongoing testosterone therapy hurdles, which insurance doesn't cover, and the practicalities of managing his health on tour.

Memorable Exchange:

“You don’t look like a guy that’s only got one ball.” – Emily Kinney (30:30)

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5. American Food and Cultural Exchange (31:01–36:08)

• Introduction to Spam Musubi: Vasquez brings Spam Musubi as an "essentially American" (specifically Hawaiian) snack, sharing its history and personal significance, especially to his son.

“It’s innately Hawaiian. ... Ham Spam is like just the cheap meat that anybody can afford. And it’s so—it’s like a cheap sushi. Delicious little snack.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (33:08)

• Sriracha & Hot Sauce: The group riffs on Sriracha's cult status and California roots, and Vasquez recommends "Pepper Plant" garlic hot sauce from Gilroy.

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6. Birds, Tattoos, and American-ness (36:43–39:02)

• Roadrunners and Tattoo Stories: Vasquez shows off his forearm roadrunner tattoo, discussing the bird's American symbolism, real-life traits (yes, they run fast), and his personal inspiration for getting it inked.

“If I was gonna pick a spirit bird, it would be that one.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (38:51)

• Flightless Bird Joke:

“It is a flightless bird.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (39:00)

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7. Comparing Bogans, Rednecks, and Libertarians (39:35–41:51)

• Cultural Parallels: Lighthearted comparisons between New Zealand “bogans” and American “rednecks,” both groups bonded over music, alcohol, and “celebrating our base silliness.” The politics of each subculture are discussed, with Vasquez highlighting the diversity in his own Texan community.

“We have some pretty forward thinking, crusty redneck dudes. ... We have a pride parade and we have. We celebrate 4th of July a bit too much also.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (40:52)

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8. Live Music Performances (41:58–54:02)

Song 1: "Scarecrow" (44:17–48:23)

• Backstory: Written about a breakup with a dancer at Jumbo’s Clown Room, a legendary LA strip club.
• Themes: Love, heartbreak, bittersweet admiration, and the seedy-glamorous LA underbelly.

Song 2: "Parallel Lines" (48:23–53:01)

• Backstory: An intimate, atmospheric song.

Song 3: "Trailer Park" (53:01–54:41)

• Backstory: A wry, affectionate look at Vasquez’s Texas neighborhood (“Cedar Oak Mesa in Wimberley”), blending country life, local quirks, and personal reflection.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On American Healthcare:
  • “You just call down this list and none of them in the list ... accept your insurance.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (11:39)
• On Vasectomy:
  • “Getting a vasectomy is not getting your ears pierced at the mall ... they cut you open, and it hurts.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (13:20)
• On Personal Loss:
  • “I gave up my left nut for this whole situation.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (22:47)
• On Being One-Balled:
  • “You don’t look like a guy that’s only got one ball.” – Emily Kinney (30:30)
• On Resilience:
  • “I still feel like I’ve got my cognitive vibe going. I get to play music. I can still sing. I can still travel around and harass Rob Hollis.” – Matthew Logan Vasquez (30:01)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:20] – Matthew explains his stage name
• [04:21] – Tour life chaos, addiction, and sobriety
• [10:26] – The nightmare of Texas insurance
• [13:20] – Vasectomy story begins
• [16:37] – First post-surgical complications
• [23:32] – Surgical removal of testicle, legal/insurance woes
• [31:01] – Spam Musubi and American food culture
• [36:43] – Roadrunner tattoo and American birds
• [39:35] – Bogan and redneck cultural discussion
• [44:17] – Live: “Scarecrow”
• [48:23] – Live: “Parallel Lines”
• [53:01] – Live: “Trailer Park”

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Episode Takeaways

• American Healthcare: The episode exposes the byzantine complexity, anxiety, and cost of American healthcare, particularly for self-employed musicians in Texas, and explores how individuals cope when the system leaves them behind.
• Vulnerability & Humor: Vasquez’s openness about a painful, embarrassing, and emotionally loaded experience is met with humor and empathy, especially among friends who have weathered their own crises.
• Music as Resilience: Despite personal setbacks, Vasquez channels his trials into song, infusing themes of hardship and hope into his music.
• Shared Humanity (and Snacks): Whether discussing botched surgeries or food fads, the episode radiates camaraderie, cultural curiosity, and the cathartic power of laughter.

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(Advertisements and sponsor breaks have been omitted from this summary.)

Transcript

[David Ferrier]

We're miles of hill country and life is evergreen, baby.

[Rob Hollis]

Simple question, just kick things off.

[Emily Kinney]

Who are you?

[Rob Hollis]

Who the are you?

[Emily Kinney]

What are you doing in the studio?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I'm Matthew Logan Vasquez. I'm Matthew Logan Vasquez and I am the frontman of a band called Delta Spirit, which hasn't been active in a long time. And I've been doing my own thing. That's why I have three names, is because Matt Vasquez is like John Smith. Because Vasquez is fairly common name. It's conquistador name.

[Emily Kinney]

Are there a lot of other Matt Vasquez's making music?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

If you Spotify, you'll see some. Yeah, there's a lot of Matt Vasquez is like on Instagram as well. And to like have the IP of your own name. So that's why I went with three names. And I like Logan because it's a cowboy name and that's fun.

[Emily Kinney]

It's a good name. All three together.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. Mlv.

[Rob Hollis]

Great name.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. Looks nice on merch.

[Emily Kinney]

It's like someone intentionally named it.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, my mom.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. Thanks, Debbie.

[Rob Hollis]

When did you two meet each other? Because full disclosure, I mean, eagle eyed and eared flightless bird listeners will have potentially heard you play at live shows now.

[David Ferrier]

Yes.

[Emily Kinney]

Two live shows. And also heard his music the first

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

like two years in the background. Yes.

[Emily Kinney]

Scoring.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah. You've sort of been along on this flightless bird journey. So welcome to the couch.

[David Ferrier]

Fan.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Longtime listener. Listener, first time host or a guest. You're easy.

[Rob Hollis]

That's what you're heading towards.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I'm the host now. But when did.

[Rob Hollis]

When did you two first meet and how did that happen?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

We met in LA first because you shot that show at the bootleg when the bootleg was still going.

[Emily Kinney]

But I was a fan of your music for quite a long time before we met.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yes. I had seen stock in me for years.

[Emily Kinney]

Delta Spirit play Chicago a ton of times.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Emily Kinney]

Metro a bunch of times. Lincoln Hall.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Oh, so fun.

[Emily Kinney]

I think we had probably met once. Cause you and Company of Thieves had like a mutual friend maybe. Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I don't know. I don't know who that would be because we.

[Emily Kinney]

You randomly opened a show I went to at Metro with Nauta Surf.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yes.

[Rob Hollis]

God, your memory is so good for all this stuff as well.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Not a Surf was like the third band we got to go on tour with. Like our first. Our first national tour was Cold War Kids and then was Dr. Dog and there was not a Surf. So it's basically like, oh, you want credit like, it was. We just really lucked out with that first growth. And this guy Matt Costa, who had a big hit on and he. He brought in so many because Matt's great and his band was really great, but he had the VH1 normal fan part and that those fans were the ones that really, really stuck with us in a lot of places that, you know, just connected the dots. So it wasn't just every major populous city kind of thing, you know?

[Emily Kinney]

Yeah. But I got dragged to that show.

[Rob Hollis]

Dragged?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

You were dragged to Not a Surf? Are you insane?

[Emily Kinney]

I wasn't a huge Not a Surf fan. Why? I don't know.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

What's your problem? They're so good.

[Emily Kinney]

Well, I'm trying to compliment you now.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Okay.

[Emily Kinney]

And then I saw you guys open and I liked you so much better. The Not a Surf.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Oh.

[Emily Kinney]

Became a big fan of cause is

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

such a good songwriter.

[Emily Kinney]

I have since come to appreciate and like some Not a Surf. But I had. I had gone with two friends to that show Company of Thieves.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Cool.

[Emily Kinney]

We're big Not a Surf fans. Which Genevieve just did the show to rad. And fell in love with your band.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah. And how did it cross over from a fan to the bridge of friendship? When did that sort of form. Do you remember when that moment was?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I forget the podcast. But you were producing the podcast.

[Emily Kinney]

I had shot you on your solo stuff post Delta Spirit. Yes.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

At the bootleg.

[Emily Kinney]

At the bootleg. Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

That was really fun.

[Emily Kinney]

I do remember you kept tagging me in the photos of it, but you.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

They weren't your photos.

[Emily Kinney]

They weren't my photos. One was like a selfie in the van. Yeah. You would just, like, copy and paste. Yeah, copy and paste.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I was so drunk that, like, it was crazy. The first years of my solo stuff, just, you know, running like a crazy alcoholic. Running. Running a tour without a manager, just an agent in tow and just. And drive and motivation and I could settle a show and I could get to the next venue and I can book a hotel. I can do so many things functionally being drunk, but like the micro stuff, like, you know, tagging.

[Emily Kinney]

Tagging.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

The appropriate person. Yeah. Or understanding the finer points of settling a night. I just at some point and I realized it's like, well, whatever money you gave me is probably fine. You know, like, honestly, if you're. If you're screwing me out of money, it could be.

[Emily Kinney]

It's good.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I mean, congratulations. You suck. Like. Like, you probably don't have long in this business. Ye. So it's fine. And everybody's been really generous, like, even in that insane time. So.

[Rob Hollis]

So you were. You were boozing up a lot.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

You on it. Yeah. Up until 2018, when it really just needed to pump the brakes. It got too crazy.

[Rob Hollis]

Did you manage to get off it quickly or were you.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, it was like. It was like, end relationship, lose access to kids kind of situation.

[Rob Hollis]

Full noise.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it was. It was here's enough pain to decide to change and. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And that was it.

[Rob Hollis]

And now you're both two booze free boys.

[Emily Kinney]

Yeah. So then you. Yeah. You came on Emily Kinney's podcast.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Right.

[Emily Kinney]

Emily Delta Spirit had kind of you

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

and Kelly, and we just started putting it together again because we stopped in 2015. There was some interpersonal stuff going on as well as some, like, really preppy business stuff. I had to move in with my mom, like, with a fresh baby, and had to tour and, like, get myself out of that situation and did. And bought a house and, like, you know, got to a stable place and it was like, okay, let's try this again. And we had just started to try that again.

[Emily Kinney]

You were putting on a new record, about to tour again. You had done one night in San Francisco, one or two nights, like, sold

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

out the last night before it closed for no more shows. And it was scary.

[Emily Kinney]

You were about to go out on a big tour of this album.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yes.

[Emily Kinney]

And then everything shut down.

[Rob Hollis]

Holy shit. Hello, Covid.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

And then we became like, we're texting back and forth, and then we started playing code names together and.

[Emily Kinney]

Zoom.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. Through Zoom.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Was it every Thursday or something?

[Emily Kinney]

Something like that.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Emily Kinney]

It was like once a week. Bunch of people on Zoom.

[Rob Hollis]

That was so nice.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

For someone that doesn't know what codenames is, like myself. What? What are you talking about?

[Emily Kinney]

It's a. Not a board game, but a. It's sort of a game. Board game.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It's like deduction.

[Emily Kinney]

Okay.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Emily Kinney]

You've got a grid of topics that are laid out, and you've got a card that has your clues that you want your team to guess.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay. And you bonded, and here we are.

[Emily Kinney]

Yeah. Family vacations.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

And we've done a bunch of fun stuff.

[Rob Hollis]

Thank you for helping out with the show so much.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Oh, my pleasure. I love the show. It's really cool.

[Rob Hollis]

You just, like, slip into things so well.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Oh, yeah. You know, music's fun. If in that way, it's great. I. I've managed. And the only job I've had where I've, like, had to, you know, withhold taxes and Things was working with special needs kids and I did that like for a year. And other than that it's been all music, all the time. I played in church gigs and did that. And I was in my Christian adjacent emo band phase. Like all of us here together.

[Emily Kinney]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

And then, and then. Yeah. And I carried on, you know.

[Rob Hollis]

What was the work you were doing with special needs kids?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It was an adult transition. So it's 18 to 22 years age and we'd go to the community college and just swim laps. And I had this amazing student named Vitaly who's. Who is like six three, big Russian guy. And he was just hilarious and he was like any, you know, 20 year old kid. He just was obsessed with girls and cars and he was really big. So he wasn't, he was just, he was a little, he was a little like intense, you know, so it was good. I would kind of like hold his hand and we'd just go. Anytime a pretty girl he would notice, I would just be like, oh yeah, yeah. And like just pull full, just wrangle. We would have so much fun. We'd swim and I'd swim laps in the pool and he would just try to chase me and, and dug me under. Terrifying. I felt fine. Like I, I can. And it was more just like.

[Rob Hollis]

Sounds so intense. I love that. I love that though because only very specific people can do that kind of work. Like you have to be a specific person, a good person to do that.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

We had a really great group called the High Rollers which is part of like a. It's like Young Life. Do you know what? Young Life?

[Rob Hollis]

No, I have no idea.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Young Life is like a.

[Rob Hollis]

Sounds churchy.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, it's very, it's. It is churchy. It's another like church thing, but it's, it's like a non affiliate. It's like not officially affiliated to any church. But it is kind of like that. But they had a like differently abled like youth group called the High Rollers and we would sing Tom Petty songs. Oh, if heaven is anything, it's either like just after 911 U2 at the Staples center or, or this High rollers thing which is like completely insane, you know. High rollers. Yeah. Like just the wildest, loudest, joyful.

[Rob Hollis]

My, my big crush at high school did Free Falling for the Telling Quest.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Oh yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

And that song has just always been like, oh my God, what a song. What a song.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It's a great song. Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

Also I knew I hadn't thought about that bono thing post 911 right.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

For a long.

[Rob Hollis]

That was so. That was a big moment, man.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

So good.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay, so look, the whole purpose of this, the whole purpose of this show is a. We get to listen to some amazing music, which we'll get to. But also I want to learn about American culture from our various guests. And I understand that you have had sort of a brush up with the sort of American health care system. Yeah, it's a big thing. But I understand you've had like a very specific run in. I have, yeah. And I'd like to learn about that. And I think Rob. Rob probably knows a bit more than I do, but I know nothing.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Let's start with, you know, I'm a musician, I have health insurance. I pay the out of pocket Obamacare health insurance. But I'm also in Texas, which is not exactly the best at affordable health care.

[Rob Hollis]

Just this, you don't need to answer this, but just for a baseline, what do you pay for health care? Roughly like a month.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Right now we pay about 800amonth.

[Emily Kinney]

Two adults, two kids.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, two adults, two kids. Yeah.

[Emily Kinney]

Okay.

[Rob Hollis]

It's a lot of money. Okay, continue.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yes.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Several things are not covered in that. And finding a primary care physician is an absolute nightmare within that system. So much so that, you know, you just call down this list and none of them in the list, none of

[Rob Hollis]

them accept what you're in. Your insurance is.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Exactly. So finding somebody to okay you to go to a specialist, just that part is, is days of effort.

[Rob Hollis]

So that was my experience. I had some back shit in America and I had insurance. And that was my first kind of shock here is, oh, I've got insurance. But finding someone that knows what they're talking about to see you, it's this whole other thing.

[Emily Kinney]

Yeah. You're not then picking like who's the best doctor in my area that I'm going to feel most comfortable with. It's just who will see me and take my insurance? So this won't cost money.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Answer in Texas? Nobody. Nobody. Not only that, it's like they may take that specific insurance, but then there's like a notch next to that specific type of insurance and then it's like, oh, you're not that. And then they'll accept you. They'll take. Or even, even then they'll accept you. They'll take you in, they'll provide their services for you and then after the fact tell you that, oh, that wasn't covered by insurance. So here's a bill. Here is a bill which supposedly there's no surprise bill Law in Texas. I don't know if that works. I'm at the point now, honestly, where I just go, oh, come and get me. Try to. Try to collect. I have. I have a. I also have a homestead so that, like, they can't come collect my house.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're kind of like it.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, yeah. Because, I mean, that's just how the system is. Has made people resort to at this point, you know?

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah. So what. What happened to you where you had to delve into the.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

And get help, so.

[Rob Hollis]

Because life is good until something kind of comes at you and you need that assistance.

[David Ferrier]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Stuff was going great. I was, like on track to be able to run a marathon for the first time, like, in the shape of my life. And we had decided no more kids. And I will say this to anyone that listens that getting vasectomy is not getting your ears pierced at the mall. It's not the same. They try to sell it to you. Like, it's like a minor, not insane thing. Turns out it's just. They cut you open and it hurts. And it hurts for like a week.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Right.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay.

[Emily Kinney]

You know, and you're sober at this point, so.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, I'm sober at this point. So I took. I had my partner managing the drug, the pain medication, and I had, like. I was scared to death of that part.

[Emily Kinney]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

And then as soon as I thought I, like, could bear the pain, those went in the trash and far from my eyes, which felt good and scary to have that in the house.

[Emily Kinney]

In a house with two small kids.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Emily Kinney]

Like, totally.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Totally freaky.

[Rob Hollis]

Wait, so. So what was the procedure? Like, are you awake, like, with a gown over you, or are you knocked out?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I'm awake. I'm lying down. There's a. The doctor and the student, and he's ironically, he's showing this person how to do this procedure, and he's like, oh, and the. The. The left one went great, supposedly. And then the right one, he had, like, had lost it and had, like, found this thing or found the thing he needed to resew up. But you're.

[Emily Kinney]

You're awake as your balls are cut.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I'm watching them do it. I'm not numbed up. And then I'm just sitting there going, so there's two.

[Rob Hollis]

There's essentially two snips, one for each testicle, and then they sew it up. I thought there was like some sort of key pipe, maybe the two testicles joined into the one.

[Emily Kinney]

I mean, that's kind of what I thought.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah. There's two snips.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I should have done more research and exactly how this works, but they do two incisions are they. They fillet open your zone and then they sew it up basically so that your sperm is not passing out your.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay. In through the testicles.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

Stay tuned for more Flightless Bird. We'll be right back after a word for from our sponsors.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

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[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

A week goes by. I'm starting to feel better. We're cool. I don't run for a month. I'm taking it easy. And then I'm like, okay, I'm going to start kind of like bringing it back here. And I started feeling all this groin pain. And then all of a sudden, I start getting like, these. I got a scrotal infection, which is so gross. I'm sorry to even, like. I don't like hearing scrotal infection.

[Rob Hollis]

You don't need to say it again.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Okay, cool. We won't.

[Rob Hollis]

And when the editor can beat that,

[Emily Kinney]

I think we need to leave it.

[David Ferrier]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

So. So it was. It was pretty gnarly. And then I was like, no, no. And I, you know, go straight to my urologist. I'm like, what the hell is going on?

[Emily Kinney]

I remember this period because it was getting large, right?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Emily Kinney]

I. Yeah, I remember hearing from you

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

that, like, I think facetiming.

[Emily Kinney]

I think my ball's infected. It is, yeah. Getting enlarged.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It was crazy.

[Rob Hollis]

And that's one part of your body that I find, like, if you're aware of anything happening down there.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, that's our sensitive zone.

[Rob Hollis]

Totally. Just sensitive zone.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It is. It's what produces and sends off all of our testosterone around our body, which regulates everything for us being guys, you know? And yours was growing, mine was, yeah. Expanding at a rapid rate in an unhealthy situation. And so, you know, go straight to my urologist. I'm like, what's going on? He's like, oh, you know, I don't know, it's. You know, maybe you worked out too soon, which I didn't.

[Emily Kinney]

This was the guy who performed the surgery.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It is. And then he gives me some antibiotics, it clears up, we're cool. And I'm like, okay. And I take another, like, month long break from running. I'm just like, I'm not doing anything until this is.

[Emily Kinney]

Except tour.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I was on tour, but I wasn't like, I wasn't lifting or doing anything. Extreme stuff. I wasn't doing any extreme stuff. And then it got infected again. And then I was like, there's something. Something is like wrong. Like light bulbs are going off. And I get. I. I do another course of antibiotics with this same urologist. And I go, I'm gonna get a new urologist. And I get a ne. And start talking. I was like, I think you messed it up. Like, like. Because the second time I was on these antibiotics, I actually, like, I'm like super freaked out that I'm gonna become resistant to antibiotics if I keep just like having these things. And it's like a third. And it's like. And then it happened a third time. Even, like, the ER nurses are like, this seems like a malpractice situation. You should probably talk to a lawyer.

[Rob Hollis]

The last thing you want when you're trying to get like, your balls attended to is like, you should talk to a lawyer. No, fix it.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, yeah, ye. And I'm in the. And then I'm talking to my new urologist and it's like, yeah, well, we'll take a look. Because they. We made a plan. We're gonna open me up and take a look and see what the deal is. And so this is like the four. Like, we had to let the third round and the third round when I got. When it happened, like, I took some antibiotics and I like passed out. Like, it was really extreme. I don't know if it was a response from the antibiotics because the first course of antibiotics didn't work. So they gave me another antibiotic and that just like cooked my body. The testicle had turned into the size of a small peach.

[Rob Hollis]

Holy shit. Yeah, yeah. Okay.

[Emily Kinney]

And what size are they normally?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Like the pit of a peach. You know what I mean? Like, you know, it just grew, man.

[Rob Hollis]

Like. Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

So we did a surgery only to, like. It was basically an exploratory surgery where they were going to fix what was wrong. They had done, like, an ultrasound on it or something, and it was like, clearly it had been. Or what had looked like was it had been sewed too high up or something like that or in the wrong place and was cutting off the circulation. And basically blood flow was making it in but not out. Oh, my God. It was just trapping blood. And then the blood was, like, causing the infection. That's the thing that was the working theory that was explained to me for what. That was horrible. So I have this. I have this surgery. He's going in with the intention of fixing it, only to realize that it's, like, from these multiple infections that have happened. It's just. It's like a grenade went off in that zone, and he's just like, the only solution is to take it out. But we didn't have that conversation before I had the surgery. So I had a surgery only to just go, well, we got to have another surgery.

[Emily Kinney]

You're getting charged each time.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I was getting charged. This is the weirdest part of this whole scenario was I was gonna get charged for all of this. The nurse, after I woke up, was talking to me. You should talk to a lawyer. And then my other urologist comes in and is basically like, oh, your new one? Yeah. He's like, man, there's just no way to prove anything. And I was like, what? And I ended up talking to two lawyers who both miffed me off. And it turns out in this state of Texas, it's pret. Like, they're just like. It's. You won't win.

[Rob Hollis]

Right. You can. You can't prove that it was malpractice.

[Emily Kinney]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

It's like something just. Something went wrong with your body.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I need another urologist.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah, yeah, you need.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I need another urologist to be like, this guy messed up. He did it wrong. And you know what? Maybe they did have a conversation, and he was probably like, yeah, I messed that one up, man. It's on me. But tell you what, I'll cover all his medical expenses because my medical expenses for those initial surgeries. Gone. I don't even know what happened.

[Rob Hollis]

You don't know this for sure. That's just a theory you have.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

That's a theory I have.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

There is no reason why these bills would just go bloop.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Disappeared.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah. So weird.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

So we come out. Oh, Lord. I come out of this surgery, and the doctor's like, it looks Like a grenade has gone off in your scrotum. And he's like, we have to take this out. And I was like, why didn't you take it out? He's like, well, we didn't talk about it before.

[Rob Hollis]

We have to take one out.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

My testicle, My left testicle. I gave up my left nut for this whole situation.

[Emily Kinney]

It's horrible because you're asleep for this one.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I was asleep. They knocked me right out. Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

Was there any discussion when they said, we've got to take this testicle out? Was there any discussion of, like, is there another way? Or. At this point, we have been in so much pain. Just get rid of my left. I've got my right. I'll be okay.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

That's the idea. It's basically, well, you got the right one, it's doing good. It ought to come in and, like, work a little harder to level you out, testosterone wise.

[Rob Hollis]

Holy shit.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

You're probably going to have these recurring infections until we take this thing out. So I recommend that we take it out. So we took it out.

[Rob Hollis]

What was it like waking up to that?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Oh, it's just like. I had another vasectomy.

[Emily Kinney]

Your third vasectomy?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, it. Third freaking surgery.

[Rob Hollis]

Do they give you a replacement, like a fake ball?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I had the opportunity to, and I really wanted to get like a DND dye, you know, or something cool. And that got nixed really quickly. It's like, you can't put that in your body. And now, you know, when I look at myself in the buff, it does. It does look. It does look weird.

[Emily Kinney]

Yeah. Not. Not worth cutting it open for. 4.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It's not worth sticking a new thing in there.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I could have done it. I could. If I had. I made that decision. They had like a prosthetic option, but I don't know, like, just adding another thing. That's like one more thing to break in there.

[Rob Hollis]

You can.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I just want it peaceful.

[Rob Hollis]

I have a friend in New Zealand who got testicular cancer and one testicle got removed. He got the replacement, the fake testicle. He got one that was too big, and so he had to go back in again and get one that was a good size. So maybe you dodge a bullet there and then. The crazy thing with him is he then got testicular cancer in the other testicle. No, so. And that's a whole thing.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

And so that had to go. Two fake testicles now, but no testosterone being made. So he has to have shots or patches to basically top him up with testosterone, which is this whole other Fucking mad ballgame.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I have so many questions for him.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah, yeah. And when. I'm sure I won't say his name, but when I work with him.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

And it's not me depending, it's I work with him. And when he gets. And he openly talks about this, he finds that he's got a really good attitude to it all. But when he first gets that testosterone shot. Yeah, it's every three months he's like this horned up teenager. Like. Yeah. Going for it. And over that three months, you can just graph it. He just drops.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

He's just chilling.

[Rob Hollis]

And so when you try and work with him, you try and work with him when he's kind of in the middle because then you don't get horny teenager. And you don't get like deeply like tired, sort of un. Sort of unmotivated. Yeah, it's fast. Testosterone's is fascinating.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It's crazy.

[Rob Hollis]

It's wild.

[David Ferrier]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I've been on a whole journey with that too. And like, with it on the one hand, it's like I certainly felt a testosterone drop from the whole. Of course.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah, of course.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I'm half the man.

[Rob Hollis]

But you're still a full man for us.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Thanks, man. Thanks, man. But the.

[Emily Kinney]

It's.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It's weird, but it's also like, oh, I'm more serene, I'm chill, I'm chiller.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Cool. I feel on that end, it's cool. But on the other end it's like, oh, my metabolism slowing down. I feel just. I feel more lethargic also. I don't feel that same, like pick up and go.

[Rob Hollis]

That's wild.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It's crazy. And so I, I tried to. I tried a few different avenues with this. Like, I tried to do the ozempic route because I was like, oh, well, if I just address the metabolism part, that would be great. And then I sent myself to the hospital.

[Emily Kinney]

That was right. That was right before our Dallas said

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

that was so crazy he almost had

[Emily Kinney]

to miss the Denver show. I didn't know the hospital.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I got a stomach bug where like when you take the Ozempic, a lot of times it can cause like this like intense heartburn and you have this acid reflux and that's what helps you not want to eat food. That was happening the day I was supposed to like come up. You, like gradually raise your dosage and it was like the time I raised my dosage was at the same time that I had like a stomach bug. And so it just could not stop.

[Rob Hollis]

Combined in a horrific way.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, I Was just like both things. I couldn't hold water. I couldn't just drink simple water for five days. And so I ended up having to do two trips to the ER with like IV bags. It was like a whole nightmare.

[Emily Kinney]

Fucking hell. Somehow you trooper through and played a show well that like day later.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It was after visit. Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

Would not have known if I didn't know.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

When was the operation to remove the testicle?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

That was in 2023.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay. So be managing it through sort of postco getting through that.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

You know, when you think of that original operation, we're, you know, they're like, we're going to have a simple look. This is a simple thing. I've got my kids. I don't have any more kids. I want to do the responsible thing.

[David Ferrier]

Yeah, totally.

[Rob Hollis]

To me it's like a little snip. My thinking has always been it's like a very simple unintrusive thing which you've just. I've just learned from you. It's not all that unobtrusive.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Nope.

[Rob Hollis]

It went sideways. But how do you feel about that? Looking back at that now and is there anything you can sort of do or is there any kind of revenge? Obviously I'm saying, do you

[Emily Kinney]

know.

[Rob Hollis]

But like do you feel that in you still where you're like all this or you're done now I think, now

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I think that that doctor especially because like the bills I didn't pay, I am going to chalk that up to like there was some like behind the scenes conversation that they tried to go right by that. But also, but also like now I'm paying out of pocket. Like no insurance is going to cover testosterone therapy, period. Just because it's.

[Rob Hollis]

That's yes, completely.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

There's too many people like abusing that. And even though I have a really valid reason, if I could find like, even if I could find a primary care physician to like even say I could, there, there just isn't. So I can't find that guy. It's a. It's a whole like the whole system is just built to make me pay out of pocket and do the. I'm either gonna. Right now I'm taking sorry segue but right now I'm actually taking a pill that tells my pituitary gland to make my right one work more. And so hopefully that will work. I've tried the. I've tried the syringes, but I just tour too much and I don't want to travel around with syringes and be in a hotel room And y.

[Rob Hollis]

Deal with it when I. When I traveled with my colleague, had to have it on ice. Had to have, like, the. The testosterone there. It was a nightmare.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Such.

[Rob Hollis]

It was really difficult to do. Yes. This whole other bit of weird admin in your life.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. No life in pharmacology. But that's everybody now or at a certain age. You know, these, these. This is just part of getting older, I guess, you know, as things start

[Rob Hollis]

to fail and go wonky.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. But I feel. I feel lucky that it. That if this was my, you know, if this was my thing, that's okay. I'm all right. I've, like, I still. I still feel like I've got my cognitive vibe going. I. I get to play music. I can still sing. I can still travel around and harass Rob Hollis. Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

Beautiful.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

If I didn't know any of this, I would think none of this was a reality. Like, you're doing everything. You seem great.

[Emily Kinney]

You don't look like a guy that's only got one ball.

[Rob Hollis]

The two ball guy.

[Emily Kinney]

David's trying to say.

[Rob Hollis]

That's what I am trying to say.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Anytime somebody says anything that's plural, I like to be like, I'm a little triggered by that.

[Rob Hollis]

I've been looking at this bag this whole time that's sitting next to you. Is there anything in there?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Oh, you wanted a snack.

[Emily Kinney]

David loves snacks, and he loves snacks for you. I brought you a snack. Bring him a snack.

[Rob Hollis]

So I'm just trying to learn about your culture. The culture being the United States of America.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. Which is fun because I brought you something super American. Well, I brought you something one California, one leftistic. It's a testicle. It's actually Hawaiian, but it's still American because it's Hawaiian.

[Rob Hollis]

Some beautiful sushi.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, no, it's a Spam musubi. Have you ever had spamisubi?

[Rob Hollis]

No, I have not had.

[Emily Kinney]

Really?

[Rob Hollis]

No.

[Emily Kinney]

You've not had.

[Rob Hollis]

No.

[Emily Kinney]

I don't know.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

This lady in Kauai, which is the garden island of Hawaii. She came up with it. Brilliant lady. Spam is. Spam is. You know, it's kind of hard to get meat on an island and so spamming meat.

[Emily Kinney]

Do you know about Spam?

[Rob Hollis]

It's in a can.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yes.

[Rob Hollis]

Spam in a can.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

That's right.

[Rob Hollis]

I don't know what Spam is. Besides, it's fish in a can.

[Emily Kinney]

No, it's ham.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Pork.

[Rob Hollis]

Oh, ham.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It's. Yeah, pork.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay. I'm learning.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

I mean, also, I should say that every other New Zealand will Know that I'm just a fucking idiot.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Of course.

[Rob Hollis]

So I'm not representing New Zealand.

[Emily Kinney]

I just said, of course I'm a idiot.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

But here. And there's some. I think there's. It's egg in this.

[Rob Hollis]

This is sort of. I mean, it feels. It's wrapped in seaweed. It looks like sushi. But this is a bit of spammy ham in the middle.

[Emily Kinney]

This is one of Calvin's favorites.

[Rob Hollis]

I'm going to pass you a bit.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

My, my son as well loves this and is obsessed with it.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay, stay tuned for more Flightless Bird. We'll be right back after a word from our sponsors.

[Emily Kinney]

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[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

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[Rob Hollis]

What do you like about it? What's the thing that you love?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I love that it's a food mashup. You know, it's. It's innately Hawaiian. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. It's so good.

[Rob Hollis]

What's it called again?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Spam Musubi.

[Rob Hollis]

Beautiful.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

So this lady, she just came up with this idea back in the day in Kauai and it was became this snack and it has just been slowly but surely making. Maybe she came up with it in the 70s because there's a lot of Japanese folks in Hawaii, so. And sushi is really popular. But ham spam is like just the cheap meat that anybody can afford. And it's so. It's like a cheap sushi. Delicious little snack.

[Rob Hollis]

This is so good.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It's the best thing. My son. Oh, I'll take one. My. My son anytime. I make him spam musubi at home. He is always walking around bragging to his friends. I got Spam Musubi. It's so amazing.

[Emily Kinney]

Calvin has a Spam Musubi T shirt. Yeah, I got him on an Etsy. It's his favorite food. Food.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, it's the best kids lunch too because this will keep in a, you know, in a bag or whatever.

[Rob Hollis]

Where did you get this pack from?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I got this, actually. I just knew it would be fine because I'm. I would. I've been in Norwich county all week seeing My family, I live in Texas, but I grew up in Southern California. I was in a worship band with a whole Hawaiian family in Lake Forest.

[Rob Hollis]

That's kind of amazing.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Completely amazing, actually. It was extremely evangelical. Really fun. Get to getting to go to, like, a luau in Lake Forest and eat poi and feel the ohana vibe is so dope. And my dad. My dad is one of three brothers. They grew up on Oahu, surfing and doing all of that because Navy brats, but yeah. So Hawaiian culture is just kind of one of those things that's like, you know, every Californian just wishes they were a Hawaiian. Really? Because they are the coolest.

[Rob Hollis]

It's delicious. Thank you. I think best snack that's coming. I think my best snack we've had so far of all the snacks. I mean, this is great.

[Emily Kinney]

Delicious.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I got it in a spot in Anaheim, and it was just this lovely Japanese dude running it and, you know, throw a rock and there's good Hawaiian food in Orange County.

[Rob Hollis]

Thank you.

[Emily Kinney]

I like it with sriracha, which you don't know about.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Sriracha?

[David Ferrier]

What?

[Rob Hollis]

No, it's a. No, I don't. You keep talking about it.

[Emily Kinney]

I know. I can't. The factory is not far from here. We need to do an episode on it.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Kind of sweet, spicy.

[Rob Hollis]

Hell, yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

And garlic. Yeah, that's what sriracha is.

[Emily Kinney]

It's garlic chili sauce.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay. And it's made in California.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, It's a California invention.

[Rob Hollis]

I mean, we want to do an episode on it. I emailed. I didn't know what the fuck it was. Rob said, emailed the factory, and I emailed them, and that went. They're like, we're not doing tours right

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

now because they had a problem. Right.

[Emily Kinney]

Where.

[David Ferrier]

Oh.

[Emily Kinney]

And they think had a shortage. So it's from Thailand.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Their neighbors got gassed. Right. Like, from the space.

[Emily Kinney]

Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

They got pepper bombed.

[Emily Kinney]

Really?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

But something like that, right?

[Emily Kinney]

Yeah, Yeah. I think there's. There's also. Oh, I love, like, a very cultural. Like, hipsters in the early 2000s. Loved. Like, they've made a dock on it where, like, I knew people that had keychains with sriracha that just, like, everything they ate, they poured it on.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. Sandwiches. It does make every sandwich taste better.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Another amazing California condiment that doesn't get as much love as sriracha is pepper plant sauce. Or, like, the hot sauce pepper plant, which is from Gilroy, the cap, the garlic capital of California. It's like the garlickiest hot sauce. And you put that on anything and it just changes it really.

[Rob Hollis]

I mean, I like garlic.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. It just molecularly changes the taste of a burrito or a sandwich, you know, any kind of egg.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah. These are great tips. Yeah, these are great tips. I don't want to derail the conversation to, like, another topic because all these things are amazing. There's a bird on your. Your forearm. Is that a roadrunner?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It is, yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay. So that's. I feel like that's a very American bird.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Oh, yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

I just know it from the cartoon where the coyote is chasing it.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. This is the one that can run through paintings.

[Emily Kinney]

What?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. Well, like, when the coyote, he makes. And then he can just run straight. What are you talking about?

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah, yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Metaphysical creature.

[Rob Hollis]

I like that bird. I feel like we should. I feel like it's an American. I feel like it's an American bird.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, it is an American bird. Have you seen Americans? I see them all the time. I have one that lives in my backyard. I named him Alonzo.

[Rob Hollis]

Get out.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

How big is a roadrunner?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

They can get pretty big.

[Rob Hollis]

Like a chicken?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, basically like a. Like a chicken. Like a jungle fowl.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Kind of chicken.

[Rob Hollis]

And are they. As far Are they fast? Can they go fast?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. I'm here because I went on a road trip because I had somebody shape me a surfboard. I'm. I'm driving through the Arizona desert on Monday, and a roadrunner ran across the road in front of my car going 90. And it had no problem.

[Emily Kinney]

I thought you were gonna say it ran up next to you, like, waved,

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

and they were like. I was dodging these anvils coming out of the.

[Emily Kinney]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

So just last question, related to the bird on your arm, can they. They can fly or they just run?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

They fly like a turkey or a chicken kind of flies. They're kind. They run really fast, and then they kind of, like, they open their wings and they glide upward. They also use their wings in this. They. I think it's called a C turn in aviation where you're flying and then you invert and then you flip, right? And they do this, like, flip motion and use their wings, and it kind of stuns the lizard it's trying to eat, like, in a mole, you know? And it'll just do this, like, flip thing, and then it'll just go and grab the lizard.

[Rob Hollis]

Oh, these girls fucking rule.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

They're really. They're really curious. They're super chill, you know?

[David Ferrier]

Man.

[Rob Hollis]

Why did you get it tattooed? Particular reason.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I just like to run and I see them all the time. And yeah, if I was gonna pick a spirit bird, it would be that one.

[Rob Hollis]

That's a really good tattoo.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Thanks. It is a flightless bird.

[Rob Hollis]

I mean, that's what I was getting.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

Give me my. Give it to me, give it to me.

[David Ferrier]

It's.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

It's America's best flightless bird. This is really good.

[Rob Hollis]

Besides David, besides me.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

You're the world's really.

[Rob Hollis]

I don't know. New Zealand's sick of me because I keep getting facts wrong about New Zealand. I'm being accepted slowly into America, I think.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

People like the New Zealand accent. I think because of flight of the Concords and they have positive associations. Lord of the Rings, maybe Australia people

[Emily Kinney]

are liking more and more, so they're just confusing.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

Wow.

[Emily Kinney]

That too, right? Yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I mean, that's cold. It is cold.

[Rob Hollis]

It's really fucking cold. Wow.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I'm just saying, you're at like a

[Emily Kinney]

gas station and someone hears your accent.

[Rob Hollis]

Yes.

[Emily Kinney]

And you're like, oh, they like me more. I don't.

[Rob Hollis]

It's nothing to do with this trade. It is purely New Zealand, you motherfucker.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I have a New Zealand question, please.

[Rob Hollis]

So I probably won't have the answer.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Great, well, give me a fake one. Wrong answers with David Ferrier. Here we go. So Australia has a bogan. We have a redneck.

[Rob Hollis]

Oh, yeah?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Do you? What do you.

[Rob Hollis]

Oh, we have bogans.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

You just call them bogans. Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

We're listening to Metallica. We're drinking like, rum and coke. We're listening to a lot of tools.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

Just getting fucked.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Those are all great things.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's a deeply New Zealand and Australian thing.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Great.

[Rob Hollis]

And we celebrate it.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Good.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah, yeah. We love the bogan.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

The thing about bogans is I feel like politically they're kind of neutral, whereas I feel like in America the redneck goes more right leaning. Whereas I. Is that right or am I thinking.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

So living in a. In a pretty hard red state, but in the purple dot. But I also live of an hour outside of that, you know, that very purple.it's like this libertarian zone.

[Rob Hollis]

Ah, the libertarian.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

So it's. It is. We have some pretty forward thinking, you know, crusty redneck dudes. You know, we have a pride parade and we have. We celebrate 4th of July a bit too much also. You know, it's kind of both things.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, no, maybe similar to bogan.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Rob Hollis]

Okay.

[Emily Kinney]

Traditionally, a redneck would be more right leaning.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah.

[Emily Kinney]

Fair to say, like, when you're like,

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

oh, you're a shit kicking redneck. You would be like, you would assume that that person voted for a certain orange person.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah. Maybe that's the case with Bogans as well. I mean it's also like a very white culture. Like Bogan culture is very like white leaning for sure as well. That's like a big thing. Yeah, yeah. I mean I'm essentially. I think I have a lot of Bogan elements to me. I love Metallica, I love Tool, I love rum and Cokes. I would happily fit in with Bogan.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I think there's an ele in of celebrating our base silliness.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Completely.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

As suburban whites that just like shitty dumb things.

[Rob Hollis]

Yeah, we love the Bogans, we love the bo. And speaking of Bogan, you've got some music for us?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I do.

[Rob Hollis]

You're going to play us three tracks?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yes.

[Rob Hollis]

Can you sort of explain the story behind the first song you're going to play? Because I understand there's like a bit of a narrative there.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

There is is a narrative there. And it's also an old song, which is fun. It's an old Delta Spirit song. And I wrote it about a girl I was dating who went on to dance at Jumbo's Clown Room in Los Angeles here in la.

[Emily Kinney]

I don't know about Jumbos.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

You were pretty excited about.

[Rob Hollis]

Heard you say Jumbos earlier. So I haven't been to Jumbo's Clown Room, but I have a lot of friends that go there and I understand it's like a very iconic strip joint in. Close to where? Robin Island. It's in Los Feliz somewhere. Yeah, it's like central and it just sounds like a very iconic, like good clientele, like kind of divey. And the dancers sound fucking cool and it just not. It's one of those strip clubs that's not like a Leary Vegas kind of a vibe. It's like it's. But I've never been. But I just hear good things same.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

And I. And actually it's funny, when I wrote this song I was definitely in a different space in my life and understanding of what that is. And she's actually stayed there over this whole time and has made a career and it seems to like love that aesthetic and culture.

[Rob Hollis]

And how long has she been there for?

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

At least 17 years.

[Rob Hollis]

That's amazing.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah. And she's still crushing it. My friend texted me the other day and he was like, oh, she's still dancing.

[Rob Hollis]

That's amazing.

[David Ferrier]

Yeah, yeah.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

So.

[Rob Hollis]

But when you. So when you Wrote the song there. You're a bit like you.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

We just broke up, so I was sad. It was basically, I'm breaking up up. I remember it's like, you know, you're not as sad as you think you are. And she's right. I'm not.

[Rob Hollis]

I'm.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I'm way too optimistic and happy. And she was, like, really into, like, vampire goth and White zombie and, like, heavy bands and stuff, and I love all of those things. Oh, man. But there was a beauty in her that I. That I really enjoyed. And it was. I was mixing it up with a lot of different gals at that, like, just from different walks of life at that time, in my 20s. And she was a really interesting character that walked into my life and she's still an interesting character. Just really great.

[Rob Hollis]

Thank you for coming in. Yeah, thank you for the food. This was 10 out of 10.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Thank you.

[Rob Hollis]

No notes.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Yeah, good deal. This one's Scarecrow.

[David Ferrier]

Oh, scarecrow, you know why I must leave all the way you bear, you cannot carry me. You know you're just like your mother had your bags all packed and you hid your heart from everyone you know you say you'd never love another unless they bore your own name. Though you kin they trample on you just the same. Oh, I gave my love to a harlot I'm told in the blackness of a scarecrow you cannot hold. Well, I'm red in the blood that I've drained that I wasted in a rain. Well, he loves to take your picture and he loves to worship you. Well, if you can't see it then soon you will you frequent the same strip club you love to watch the ladies dance you always knew I don't do shit like that. And while I was out in Scotland you were out with him and he took your shot and you threw up your limbs. Oh, I gave my love to a harlot, I'm told in the blackness of a scarecrow know one nose I'm red in the blood that I've drained that I wasted in a rain. Oh, no, You deserve applause for splitting me in two. I count you on the list of immortal few And I hope that you were happy I could only wish you the best. Will you beauty vacant sitting in the west. And this may just sound redundant because you've chosen your own fate. There was more to you than just some pretty face. I will give my love to a harlot I will cause a blast blackness of a scarecrow you cannot kill. Well, I'm red in blood that I'VE drained that. I was waiting for rain.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Parallel lines.

[David Ferrier]

Parallel lines so in tune with mine? It's lifting up my skin

[Rob Hollis]

as if

[David Ferrier]

your teeth were still sinking in? You're reading all my thoughts, Sharing all my prayers? You understand the cost. Please do not despair, Sam. Treasure in the sea, you are Venus in repose. I'm the vessel that you fill

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

I am your garden. Undisclosed

[David Ferrier]

you shield to me and me.

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Before it had begun?

[David Ferrier]

You're rising in the east

[Emily Kinney]

now I'm

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

flooded by the sun.

[David Ferrier]

Parallel lines

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

they got you on the run?

[David Ferrier]

We never needed signs

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

to know what we'd become?

[David Ferrier]

You're reading all my thoughts I'm trying not to stare. When you're ready for me

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

you know I will be there. The song's about the neighborhood in my or the neighborhood I live in in Texas called Cedar Oak Mesa in Wimberley. The song is called Trailer Park.

[David Ferrier]

It's over I forgot how to live in the city Stop signs are more like suggestions and all the people fit the same damn description they're all well on Jesus voted even the hippies are all cocked and loaded don't need a gun since Frank is my neighbor Rolling up doobies in his 86 let's save it well don't try to tell me that I miss them all so heavy in my trailer park oh yeah. Little waitress, she got two kids Every night we pray she gonna make it how you make me sweat Local stars in local bars it's nirvana it's like sliver with grandma dad swimming in the riverland Little T learning how to walk

[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

My wife and I drinking wine from

[David Ferrier]

the box and don't tell me that I missed the mark so heavy in the trailer park. Yeah. We're miles of hill country and life is ever green Baby I want to be. Pull over it's over I forgot I live in the city with stop signs and more like suggestions than all the people with the same name description they're all well on Jesus voted Even the empies are all cocked and low. Yeah.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

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[Matthew Logan Vasquez]

Wayfair Every Style, Every home.