The first thing you need to know about Of Montreal is that the band is actually from Athens, Georgia, and came up with the name years before our Montreal became an international touchstone for all things indie-rock.

The second thing you need to know is that while they’ve been making quirky pop records for nearly 10 years-they have eight full-length records to show for it-they have never been more popular than they are now. Since January, the band has been riding a wave of critical accolades for their latest release, Hissing Fauna, Are you the Destroyer? and have been on an extensive and intense North American tour since the record’s release.

Their steady rise in popularity have afforded the band some new on-the-road luxuries, like a tour bus. The band’s guitarist Bryan Poole (a.k.a. The Late BP Helium), on the phone from “somewhere in Missouri,” explained the economics of the bus.

“We could make more money in the long run if we didn’t have the tour bus, but as our touring gets longer and longer, it’s important to be able to get some rest.”

Since most bands only rent for the duration of a tour, each bus has its own unique history, and can make for interesting bedfellows.

“Hootie and the Blowfish had this bus before us. When we found that out, we were like, ‘Shit, the Hootie bus? I wonder who has Hootie’s bunk?'”

One of the other perks of having a tour bus is the driver who comes with it.

“Ken’s our bus driver and he’s badass,” Poole said affectionately. “He’s from Jersey and he doesn’t take any fucking shit. I think he used to be a roadie for Toto back in the day. He’s seen it all. It took him a while to warm up to us, but now he really likes us. He’s with us for the long haul.”

While most would imagine that being in a touring rock band is like being on paid vacation, Poole testifies that the road can really take a lot out of you.

“We’ve done a lot of touring in the past couple of years, and you get into a normal flow of shows, but then you get home and you collapse-your body just takes you down. I usually just turn off my phone and sleep for three days straight. Once I got addicted to energy drinks-that was bad.”

So far, this tour has been interesting to say the least. Of Montreal’s frontman Kevin Barnes has been glamming up his stage persona, donning Bowie-esque face paint and flashy costumes. In February, one particular onstage incident got online music sites spilling tons of ones and zeros. Poole explained, “Kevin got nude on stage in Las Vegas. It was our only 21-and-over show and we were in Vegas, so Kevin just decided to get naked.”

The incident, which Poole described as “somewhat spontaneous” was captured by photographers and can be viewed (with caution) online.

Of Montreal roll into The Opera House on Tuesday with 55daysofstatic and Grand Buffet.