It’s shortly after 1 in the morning and the members of Pointswest have just finished a show at Gabe’s Oasis in Iowa City. As their Midwest spring tour starts to wind down, it’s obvious the fun is still there, even though that night’s crowd was small.

“I just got a $78 hotel room for 30 bucks!” a band member is heard screaming in the background, an enthusiasm only found in either exhaustion or just pure excitement. From the sounds of it, it’s most likely the latter.

Pointswest — composed of members Rollie Belles, lead singer and rhythm guitarist; Jay Combs, drummer; Mike Ligocki, lead guitarist and backing vocals; and Kevin Collins, bass and backing vocals — call Frederick, Md., a quiet town about 45 minutes west of Baltimore, their home.

“There’s not much of a music scene there,” Collins laments, saying they usually pack up their van and head to Baltimore “where the crowds are.”

All this moving around has given the band the opportunity to play in a variety of different venues. But Collins says he knows exactly which place is the band’s favorite to play.

“There’s a little bar in Baltimore called the Brass Monkey [Saloon],” Collins says. “It’s intimate.”

Collins says this intimacy plays an integral role in the band’s overall energy as well.

“I think I can vouch for the rest of the band when I say we like to play in small venues,” Collins says. “Sure, we want to play in large venues, but in the smaller ones, it’s intimate, so everyone can get crazy — and that just gets me pumped.”

Belles and Ligocki were playing together in various bands before Collins joined on as the band’s original drummer.

“Once we added [Combs] to the band, I was happy to play bass,” Collins says. “It’s what I prefer to play, anyway.”

Collins says the band’s influences range from Glassjaw to old-school punk to OutKast.

“We all have different influences, but we each respect what it brings to the table.” Collins says.

But the band’s newfound comedic obsession with horses may be the strangest evidence that there’s a certain sense of humor that can only come from being on the road.

“It started off as a joke with [Combs],” Collins laughs. “Now we sing kid’s songs in the van about horses and we want to own a horse farm.

“Even our old van was called ‘Seabiscuit.’ “

Collins also says his nickname, “The Mare,” has become almost legendary.

“I have fans back home coming up to me asking, ‘Are you The Mare?’ ” Collins says. “Even my mother has started calling me The Mare. It’s a nickname that just stuck.

“A quirky sense of humor is needed for the road,” Collins adds with a chuckle. “We’ve started calling this tour the ‘Hide Your Daughters Tour.’ “