I started looking into You Me & Apollo — the band playing at McMenamins Old St. Francis School Wednesday — and was struck by its similarities to another band that played the same place almost exactly a year ago: Pickwick.
You Me & Apollo is from Fort Collins, Colo., and Pickwick is from Seattle. Those aren’t the same.
But both of these bands play a sort of throwback brand of neo-soul music that has infiltrated indie rock in the past half-decade or so. Pickwick’s is a little bouncier and more funky, whereas You Me & Apollo’s is a bit more of an ethereal, sweeping pop thing, but they’re still close cousins.
Both bands are fronted by a slightly built white dude with big, frizzy hair, nerdy glasses and an impressive voice you wouldn’t expect to come out of that body.
You Me & Apollo has embarked on a three-part series of 7-inch records, which is something Pickwick did a couple years ago.
And both are considered among the next big things out of their respective home towns and states.
It’s not a huge deal; I just thought it was odd. Check out You Me & Apollo at www .youmeandapollo.com.
You Me & Apollo; 7 p.m. Wednesday; free; McMenamins Old St. Francis School, 700 N.W. Bond St., Bend; www.mcmenamins.com or 541-382-5174.