BY KAREN BOSSICK

Outside, it was snowing yet again.

But inside the Argyros Performing Arts Center, a whirlwind was moving across the stage. Musical  lightning bolts zinged from floor to ceiling as three young dudes furiously sawed their bows across two violins and a double bass.

It was obvious: Time for Three was in the house.

The young men, who came to the attention of Sun Valley music lovers through the Sun Valley Summer Symphony in 2013, chalked up another win for The Argyros Presents series as they and the sell-out crowd of 300-plus enjoyed a hundred-minute lovefest that flowed through a mashup of classical composers like Bach and Brahms and ricocheted through Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.”

“Thank you guys for appreciating what goes on,” violinist Nick Kendall told the audience as the trio  changed tempos from breakneck to pensive and back again.

The group played many of the favs that the crowd had heard them play before, including Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”

“We play this for the teens and it goes over their heads, mostly. But say, ‘Theme to Shrek’ and they’re on it!” said double bassist Raanan Meyer.

Charles Yang and Nick Kendall showed the full range of their violins’ capabilities, as they played them   like ukuleles on Yang’s expressive song, “All I Need.”

And Meyer was like a kid trying to see what he could coax out of his double bass on a piece he wrote—and is continually improvising.

“It’s always different. That’s what’s fun about touring. It’s never the same,” said Yang.

The virtuosic high-energy trio obviously loved playing for the audience and with each other—and the audience loved them back.

“We love to come here to Sun Valley because you guys let us experiment,” said Yang, before giving a shout-out to Debra and Jack Levin, who helped support the night’s performance, and Symphony Music Director Alasdair Neale, who brought them here before bringing them back for a three-year residency.

Time for Three took advantage of the theater’s Meyer Constellation Sound System, as they played numbers fit for a concert hall and others more fit for an intimate nightclub.

Among the new songs they introduced was one they ‘d written in Nashville with acclaimed composer Liz Rose. It’s among several new tunes they will be releasing soon.

Titled “Over,” It’s the dark side of the set, Yang quipped. So sad you almost don’t want to play it, added Meyer.

But it’s refrain was catchy. And they made up for any downer it might have caused as they ended with “Joy,” a happy bouncy song that summarizes their stage presence and love affair with Sun Valley.

“Not only have you given us support in so many ways, but we’re playing so many pieces around the world that came to life here,” said Meyer.

And then, because the audience wouldn’t let them leave without an encore, Charles Yang let loose on a  thoughtful, earnest and interesting variation of “Stand by Me.”

“I remember playing my first show ever with Time for Three,” said Yang, who replaced an original founding member midway through the trio’s time in Sun Valley. “And I just remember how accepting you guys were,” he said.

 “They get better every time,” enthused Sandra Flattery, as she joined a boisterous crowd in the lobby after the concert. “I’ve never seen a band interact with one another like they do. It’s such a joy because they’re so into it, smiling all the time and always congratulating one another for the way they play….”

COMING UP AT THE ARGYROS:

Classical pianist Jon Kimura Parker and violinist Aloysia Friedmann will present a program of Mozart, Brahms, Chopin and even a few tangos at 6:30 p.m. March 21. To learn more, visit www.theargyros.org.