Dido's performance at San Francisco's Masonic Auditorium on Wednesday night was a joy from the first note to the last. She performed all her hits, together with a generous selection of deeper cuts from her five studio albums. I was seated on the main floor, just to the right of the stage, and could see for myself how intimately she connected with fans in the first few rows, encouraging them to sing along on the choruses, responding to comments, and generally making everyone feel that they were part of the show. Her backing band was tight and powerful, raising each song to a new level, while never overwhelming either her soaring melodies or her always-beautiful voice. Of course her songwriting was front-and-center, her complex, personal, and literate lyrics clearly audible on nearly every tune. In true show biz style, Dido withheld her mega-hit "White Flag" until the final encore, and at the sound of its opening notes, the crowd responded with a roar such as I have never heard at any show before. Dido in concert is nothing short of magnificent; her set was an unqualified triumph, and I feel honored to have been among the faithful gathered at her feet.