Sarah McLachlan’s appearance at Stephens Auditorium last Wednesday was not as much a concert as it was a dive into the diary of one of the world’s most talented songwriters.

In a voice so beautiful it left 2,749 people utterly speechless, McLachlan journeyed through the many faces of romance, singing about lost love, jilted love, pretend love and pure love.

But before McLachlan took the stage, friend and Lilith Fair act Lisa Loeb captivated the audience with a slightly different approach.

Loeb warmed hearts with the fictional stories found on her recently released record “Firecracker” and her 1996 debut “Tails.”

Loeb’s first words asked the question “Do You Sleep?” in an awesome rendition of the “Tails” single.

Dressed in a plaid skirt and a black tube top, complete with her signature glasses, Loeb wore the image of a catholic school girl with an edge.

Her songs fit the match as she compared “barstools and boyfriends” on “Truthfully” and “prayers and a new pen” on “Furious Rose,” the latter of which featured an electric violin solo from a member of Nine Stories, Loeb’s band.

In between songs, Loeb made a friend of the audience, frequently giving thanks and striking conversation about anything from her friend who went to Iowa State, to how Iowans should just go skiing in their backyards for Spring Break.

At the halfway point of her set, with the introduction “This is a song from ‘Tails,'” Loeb ventured into the crowd favorite “Stay (I Missed You).”

From the opening guitar chord to the last “you” that fell from Loeb’s lips, the performance of the “Reality Bites” ballad can only be summed up in one word — perfection.

Loeb finished her show with “Firecracker” gems “Jake,” “Falling In Love” and the current single “I Do,” leaving fans wishing the fuse would never run out.

McLachlan picked up where Loeb left off, with another radio smash, the soulful “Building A Mystery.”

If a seven-member entourage, elaborate stage and artful backdrop were not enough to make it clear that McLachlan was headlining material, her opening words “We’ve got a long show for you tonight, we’re going to play songs for you from all four records” were.

Combining the grace and elegance of an opera singer with the personality and wit of a folk singer, McLachlan did just that, sharing over 10 years of music in a two-hour show.

The Canadian songstress followed “Building A Mystery” with the “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy” favorite “Hold On,” a beautiful story of friendship.

A few songs later, McLachlan worked her way to a grand piano at center stage, where she played a jaw-dropping rendition of the “Surfacing” tune “Do What You Have To Do.”

Older pearls like “Steaming” (from 1988’s “Touch”) and “Drawn To The Rhythm” (from 1991’s “Solace”) mixed with explanations from McLachlan topped off the first hour of her show.

McLachlan rose to another level with another visit to the piano for the amazing “Adia.”

With her voice still glowing, she returned to older material “Vox” (from “Touch”) and “Into The Fire” (from “Solace”), both reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac (complete with male back-up vocals).

The rock-oriented tunes proved McLachlan’s versatility and made a memorable impression on the crowd, which stood up one-by-one like confused churchgoers.

McLachlan retook the stage for an encore duet of “Ice Cream” with her drummer, who was wheeled-in playing an interesting Indian congo kit.

After introducing and thanking her bandmates, McLachlan and crew launched into a thunderous version of “Sweet Surrender,” which carried a groove much thicker than the album version of the song.

McLachlan then made a surprise return for a second encore.

Seeming embarrassed to hear cries of “I love you, Sarah,” she continuously thanked her loyal listeners and then ended the evening in perfect fashion — with only her amazing voice echoing the words of “Witness” off the walls of Stephens Auditorium.

McLachlan and Loeb opened their hearts through music Wednesday, building a friendship with Ames that will last forever.