Hello again my friends out there in Excitable nation! It’s about time for a new 311 fan spotlight. Let’s read the story of Tim Zinkan!
For Tim, his love started when he was 13 years old and saw the video for “Down” on MTV. “I think what drew me to it the most besides the video itself was the blending of rap and rock sounds which at the time was foreign to me and I was into both of those genres at the time. Once I got my hands on the ‘Blue Album’ the hook was set big time. Their positive messages about persistence and believing in yourself have kept me coming back to their music again and again over the years. I love how they have evolved their sound over the last 30+ years but remain the same at their core. Each of their albums takes me back to memories from my life in the era the album was released.”
Show count, well Tim has lost count at this point, but he estimates it’s somewhere between 40 and 50. First show for him was at The Lawn at White River in Indianapolis, Indiana, back in 2007. As for favorite show, it was the 2017 cruise to Cozumel that takes top prize. “While all of the Cruises and 311 Days I’ve been fortunate enough to attend have all been special in their own right, the 2017 Cruise was when I got to share the experience with my now wife instead of just telling her about all of the great people and stories from the previous ones I attended before I met her. She, without a doubt, completely understood everything I had been trying to tell her since we started dating after living the experience herself. I would like to think we came out of it understanding each other better as well. We got married the following Fall so something must have clicked on that magical ocean faring vessel.”
When asked what song means the most to Tim, he asked, “Is the whole discography an acceptable answer?” Many of us fans feel the same way! He did pick one song that has special meaning, and it’s “Don’t Dwell.” A few of his favorite lines from songs include: “You think they’ll probably find you, well then you’re probably right,” and “The river cuts its way through stone, not through shear force but persistence. At the end of the day the relentless always win.”
Tim grew up in the middle of a cornfield in Washington, Indiana. He studied robotics at Vincennes University and has worked in various fields of manufacturing since he graduated in 2007. Once graduated, he moved to Indianapolis and then 7 years later moved to Louisville, Kentucky for work. “While in Indianapolis I spent a couple years working as a traveling Field Service Engineer and during that time have worked everywhere from a margarine & Redi Whip factory, to bottling water, bottling beer, bottling Coke products, building shocks and struts for cars, and currently work for the Ford Motor Company as an Automation Engineer building the best trucks on the planet!”
Tim met his wife in September 2015. They married in November 2017 and they have 3 children: Emma, Hadley, and Bennett. They also are fur parents to a cat named Luna and a dog named Boomer. “We bought our forever home out in the countryside in the middle of a 86 acre cow farm in April 2020 and enjoy the quietness and slow pace of country living when we aren’t rocking out with 311 and all of our 311 friends we have made from the shows.”
Interesting fact about Tim is that he has built and driven 2 demolition derby cars! As for unique attribute, Tim can talk to robots and they talk back! “In my line of work I get involved with writing code for manufacturing robots and various other types of automated equipment.”
For other musicians Tim can be found listening to, the list includes Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Stick Figure, Incubus, Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin, Rebelution, Alice in Chains, Pink Floyd, and Avenged Sevenfold.
Guilty pleasure for Tim, he said he’s a gear head at heart. “I really enjoy all forms of motorsports, especially NASCAR and dirt track sprint car racing. I have been to 14 of the NASCAR tracks as well as dozens of NASCAR races from Michigan to Las Vegas to Miami and nearly everywhere in between. Being born a Hoosier and having lived in Indianapolis there is also a special place in my heart for the Indy 500, Indiana University basketball, and Indianapolis Colts football. I also enjoy camping and piloting drones when time allows.”
To 311, Tim has these words: “I give you every ounce of my gratitude for playing a major role in helping me keep perspective through all the rough spots in life, celebrating the great times, the abundance of special memories, and for taking me along on so many epic travels with the greatest of people!”
Now Tim’s message to all his fellow fans:
“We have all been through a lot over the last 12+ months. Use the 311 positive energy to be an ‘Uplifter’ to those around you and enjoy the brighter days ahead. See you out on the road at shows soon!”
Thanks Tim for sharing your story and love for 311! Much gratitude to all the readers as usual! I hope you all have an amazing week my friends!
Much Love – The Runt