For months we had tickets to see The Breeders perform here in Atlanta. We eagerly awaited the date upon which said band would perform their “classic” album Last Splash in its entirety. It must be stated, though, that as kids of the 1990’s, we felt just little bit older knowing that this tour was booked in celebration of that album’s 20th anniversary. Has our cherished music become our generation’s “classic rock”? Maybe, probably, but that’s a discussion for another time. So the day finally came, and as you might expect from Kim Deal, the band played a fine, upbeat show of all the “classics”. But the best part—and the biggest surprise—was the last minute addition of Atlanta’s own Deerhunter to the bill.

For months the opening act was listed as the not uncommon, yet still frustratingly vague “special guests”. The ambiguous listing looked especially odd in print mere days before the now sold-out show date. Being a hometown band as well as 4AD label mates with The Breeders, I wondered (hoped?) for a moment if Deerhunter might make a surprise appearance. Though, to be honest, that seemed like a stretch. A double bill at the last minute? Not likely.

Well, as you might imagine by this point, it turns out I was correct. Within a day or two of the show, Deerhunter were added to the bill. The band even played the role of opening act, which seemed like a cute gesture given their status here in 2013. And they didn’t fail to deliver the goods either, playing loudly, crisply, and confidently while filling up the hall with ample moments of drone, reverb-laden guitars, and pop hooks. It also turns out that the band won’t be playing Atlanta for the foreseeable future as they jetted off for a string of European dates just two days after Wednesday night’s gig. Even better.

We love surprises like this. You know, when something pretty good miraculously gets even better right at the last second. This was one of those things.