Imagine being a member of Pussy Riot, being freed from a Siberian prison camp and then, in a matter of weeks, attempting to negotiate an interview with Stephen Colbert, a man whose particular form of humor must seem absolutely alien to these ladies. Or maybe not! Pussy Riot members Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alyokhina, Colbert’s guests last night, did an admirable job answering Colbert’s quips with their own, matching his tone but still pounding home their message. The duo’s translator should win some sort of Emmy for keeping that thing flowing without stepping on anyone’s comic timing. (On a more serious note, the two also gave a press conference at Amnesty International’s New York offices, where Alyokhina said, “We are proud of what we did. We are proud it landed us in prison.”) Sadly, there was no musical performance on Colbert, but you can watch the two-part interview below.

Pussy Riot will be guests at tonight’s Human Rights Now concert at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The Flaming Lips, Tegan And Sara, Lauryn Hill, and others will perform.