I guess I need to understand what happened in a year because when I heard him he sounded fine. Here's a video below from a year ago (not mine). A good friend of mine is very close to Ian and he said he has been struggling for a while with his speaking voice (pretty much can't speak).
Found a post from a while re: the Botox...
"Wanted to send an update on “the voice”. As many of you know, I have been working with a condition called ‘laryngeal dystonia’. It’s a neurological condition that creates unwanted tension in the vocal cords.
When I first started dealing with this, my speaking voice was fine, but I was really struggling to sing. Somewhere along the line, starting about a year ago, it started to flip.
Singing and speaking come from 2 different hemispheres of the brain. These last couple of months of shows have been the best my singing voice had worked since everything started. The flip side is that it is very difficult for me to speak, and the physical and mental effort it takes is exhausting.
To me, it feels like something way bigger than me. It feels like my singing voice is finding freedom because it needs to. I can feel this calling deep in my spirit. It is amazing how relaxed I am when singing and I am now trying to find a path in speaking through these avenues.
I have had poor results with the traditional medical world. The Botox shots in the vocal cords didn’t help much, and there is a month or so after each shot where you can’t make noise at all. Those times were the worst my voice had been(the cure more harm than the disease). I am finding my path through yoga, meditation, body awareness, self work, and advocating for myself.
For those of you that have invited me to interviews and podcasts, or those that have wondered why I’m talking less after shows, this is why. It is pretty traumatic currently trying to speak, and I am working through this time to find a way physically and mentally to approach it. For now, know that I am grateful for all of you. I am so grateful to my body and my voice for reconnecting me to this higher place. To be able to sing is something I have always had deep gratitude for, but to have not had that freedom and to now see it again is deeply humbling and I wanted to share what feels like a true miracle to me.
The fact that I started a non profit in SMASH with no health concerns at the time, and then fell into the most challenging personal health issue is no accident."
That sucks... hope he gets that sorted out because from what I've heard, he's a good dude.
On a side note, if you're going to get your daughter into the local scene, Far Out Lounge often has all ages shows. Empire has lots of good bands that are typically 18+ and I think Mohawk is the same. I usually don't pay attention to the ages for obvious reasons. I know Sahara Lounge is the same.
Hey... on a side note... anyone been to Barton Spring Pool this past week and seen if the diving board is back?