By Nance Ebert, Contributing Writer
Marlborough – Punk rock bands like Green Day, The Offspring and Blink-182 are just some of the favorites that 8-year-old Lincoln Zinzola enjoys listening and playing along with. He has been playing the electric guitar – his favorite, a Gibson Les Paul – for a mere two years and already he has mastered what many who have studied for years to achieve. In addition, he plays a bit of piano, bass, drums and sings.
A third-grader at the Raymond C. Richer Elementary School in Marlborough, Lincoln is very well known and recognizable among his peers for his signature blue hair and musical talent.
He has played with a punk band called The Prozacs from western Mass., Maryland-based band All Time Low, and this past August, he was called up on the stage where Green Day was performing. Billie Joe Armstrong, one of the lead singers, encouraged Lincoln to join him in singing the song, “Long View.” By the time the song had ended, the crowd was shouting Lincoln’s name. He dove into the audience and was passed back to his seat.
“I was so nervous and was just trying to listen to Billie Joe tell me what he wanted me to do on the stage. He even had me climb a few steps and then jump down. I remember hearing the crowd cheer my name,” Lincoln recalled.
“This is what he loves to do and he is really passionate about it. He would play music morning and night,” said Tony Zinzola, Lincoln’s father.
Lincoln loves going to concerts to get inspiration and most recently went to Providence to see The Descendents perform.
Lincoln met Marlborough students Matthew Hiltz and Nate Dalbec at a week-long summer camp program, The School of Rock, run by the Rock Institute in Marlborough.
What formed out of their meeting was a band that they perform in together called, Color Killer.
Matthew plays the drums; Nate plays the bass guitar and sings. Lincoln also plays the guitar and sings. The boys practice twice on the weekends to hone their craft and get ready for upcoming performances. They have played at several venues, including Ralph’s Diner in Worcester, and will be performing at The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN) on Friday, Oct. 20. The Berklee College of Music Summer Program sponsors the program, Rock Off Main Street.
Nate’s uncle, Aaron, has been a touring musician for 25 years with the punk rock band, Bane.
“When the boys complain that a song is too hard, we remind them to stick with it and typically, this song ends up becoming one of their signature songs,” said Nate’s father, Jake Dalbec.
“We practice really hard and love doing the shows for people. It’s not always easy to get along with each other especially if someone is offbeat,” Matthew said.
In the future, the boys would all like to continue with music and performing.
“I am going to go to Berklee in Boston to study music and be a professional musician,” Lincoln said.
For more information or to view the video of Lincoln with Green Day, visit www.facebook.com/ColorKillerBand/; www.facebook.com/LincolnRocksMA/; or
www.youtube.com/c/LincolnRocks.