Sin City Wages in on Battles

Despite their rich rock history, Battles -- John Stanier (drums), Tyondai Braxton (keys/vocals), Ian Williams (guitar/vocals), and Dave Konopka (guitar/bass) -- is just a bunch of regular dudes. Ushering in the third annual Vegoose Festival on a hot Saturday afternoon (Oct. 27), the cerebral math rock-tinged experimentalists gathered a many Halloween costumed inquisitors to the Snake Eyes Stage at Sam Boyd Stadium, delivering choice cuts from their latest studio offering, Mirrored. But when it comes down to it, the seriousness of their craft doesn't really capture the light-heartedness for this fellow SPIN.com Artist of the Day. The collar-shirted quartet -- who also gabbed about their recently released Tonto EP -- joked that it's all about the pheromones when performing live. INTERVIEW BY MACKENZIE WILSON / FILMED AND EDITED BY ERIC NOWELS

Drummer John Stanier / Photo by Eric Nowels

Vocalist/guitarist Tyondai Braxton / Photo by Eric Nowels

Williams getting manic / Photo by Eric Nowels