Three Questions as Kip (3?aK) - The Complete Series

Well, I guess I can scratch one New Year's resolution off my list. It might not be as significant an accomplishment as quitting smoking or losing 30 pounds, but I finally got around to doing something I've been meaning to do for quite some time now -- nearly as long as I've been writing this blog, actually.

What is this remarkable achievement, you ask?

I went back through all the "3?aK" posts and added links to tie them all together and make the entire series more navigable. This should make it quite a bit easier to revisit the infamous yearlong experiment I undertook during my tenure as music writer at College Times, in which I asked numerous musicians and celebrities to spontaneously get into character and answer three questions as 1980s hair metal icon Kip Winger.

3?aK Episode 48: The Grand Finale

Well, we've finally come to the last episode of 3?aK. I'm sure this is a monumental moment for a lot of you. I imagine it must be similar to the bittersweet feeling of watching the final episode of M*A*S*H or Lost. But all good things must come to an end. Sometimes even the greatest ideas run their course. I had a lot of fun asking people these questions over the course of a year, but once you see who the final interviewee is, you'll see why I decided to put 3?aK to rest. Anyway, on to the background info...

Back in 2007, when I was the music writer for College Times, Kip Winger blew me off for an interview because he was on “vocal lockdown.” I didn’t want to see the questions I’d prepared go to waste, so for the next year, I asked everyone I interviewed if they’d be willing to get into character and answer the following “Three Questions as Kip.”

If you're new to 3?aK and want a more detailed history of how this project came to be, click here.

OK, now that you're up to speed, let's get on with the show. Playing the role of Kip Winger for this installment of 3?aK will be none other than the man himself, Kip Winger.

3?aK (Three Questions as Kip) - The Origin

The story behind "Three Questions as Kip" begins in early 2007, back when I was the music writer at College Times.

A recently reunited Winger was on tour in support of their first album of new material in 13 years -- an Iraq War-themed album unassumingly titled Winger IV. They were scheduled to make a stop at Martini Ranch in Scottsdale on March 6, 2007, and their publicist wanted to set up an interview with frontman Kip Winger to preview the show.

Despite the fact that most College Times readers were either in diapers or not even conceived when Winger were at the peak of their fame, I agreed to the interview anyway, partly because I thought it could be kind of funny and partly because I was actually somewhat impressed with the then-new album.  Admittedly, I was never a Winger fan back in the '80s (I've always been more of a Slayer guy), but I thought Winger IV was a pretty solid effort that sounded modern enough to not be labeled a blatant cash-in on '80s nostalgia, while still retaining enough of the band's original sound to avoid alienating any die-hard Winger fans that might still be hanging around.