4/21/10, 7:15 p.m.

Wow, guys. There might not be words for how all-around amazing ЗП's performance was on Sunday.

Even now, I'm still at a loss for how to describe it. Imagine three incredibly energetic, talented, and impeccably dressed Russians prancing around on a stage, and you still wouldn't be that close. At the beginning of the show, Саша mentioned that they have the distinction of being the only folk band to have ever played at the Мариинский, one of the most famous and prestigious of all Russian theaters. It certainly felt like the Мариинский with the quality of their show, that's for sure.

They played a pretty wide variety of folk songs during their concert. Since they're from Saratov, a good deal of it was music from the Volgograd and Caucasus region, but they included songs from the northern reaches and the Ural area as well. And beyond being great musicians, they're fantastic entertainers. In the time between songs, they would tell us little stories and anecdotes about their time in Belgium, Russia and Vermont. And during their songs, they pulled out some of the most ridiculous instruments we've ever seen. At one point, Сергей played an accordion shaped like a boot.

Everyone we've talked to who went has said it was a great time, and we're very grateful to them for putting on this show for us. Props go out to Dr. Merrill for cluing us in to how great they are. They said they'll be back in the U.S. again in a few years, so maybe we'll call them up again to play for us. What do you guys think?