Cleveland native Renee Stahl makes a homecoming appearance at Barnes & Noble this afternoon. The singer-songwriter just released her second album, hopeful.romantic, and the bookstore chain is the only place you can find it for the next six months. Like Starbucks, Barnes & Noble is branching out: Stahl’s CD is the first exclusive release in the store’s Discover Great New Music program, and it’s a winner. Armed with acoustic guitar and wispy loops, Stahl, who now lives in L.A., writes love songs that don’t get lost in the stars. She’s a romantic, but she’s also a realist.
Sat., May 19, 1 p.m.

This article appears in May 16-22, 2007.