An Evening with David Byrne in Culver City

David Byrne has spent five decades making things people did not know they wanted: Talking Heads records, a Tony-winning Broadway show, an Oscar-winning film score, bicycle diaries. On Tuesday, October 13, he sits down in Culver City to talk about a different kind of making, the ideas that get ignored and then come roaring back.

When: Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 8:00 PM to about 9:30 PM Where: Robert Frost Auditorium, 4401 Elenda Street, Culver City Tickets: $40 General Admission, book available at checkout Presented by: Live Talks Los Angeles

What the evening is about

The talk centers on Byrne's book Sleeping Beauties: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up. Its premise is that we like to believe in a meritocracy of ideas, where genius is spotted right away and rewarded. In practice, many of the people we now call great creators got little traction at first. Their work faded out and only later came back to life.

The book ranges across the arts and sciences, from discoveries like continental drift to technologies like solar panels and the steam engine, and artists whose reputations arrived long after they were gone. Expect an on-stage conversation rather than a lecture, which is the format Live Talks Los Angeles uses for its writers, musicians and thinkers.

Who is David Byrne

Byrne co-founded Talking Heads in 1975 and has released 20 studio albums. He scored The Last Emperor, created the stage production American Utopia (later filmed by Spike Lee) and the disco musical Here Lies Love, and founded the solutions-focused publication Reasons to Be Cheerful. His other books include Bicycle Diaries, How Music Works and Arboretum.

Practical info

Tickets run $40 and the organizer sells copies of the book at checkout, with more available at the event. Tickets are non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be resold on resale platforms. Bring ID, since the name you register under goes on a will-call list at the door. Free parking is available at the venue, and an ASL interpreter is provided on request.

Can't make it in person? A virtual version airs on October 20 at 6 PM PT and stays available on demand for five days.

For anyone building a week of things to do in Los Angeles, this is an easy pick for a book lover or a Talking Heads fan who wants more than a concert. It also earns a spot on any list of upcoming events Los Angeles readers should know about, and it sits alongside the rest of the arts and culture picks on this site. Culver City is a short drive from most of the Westside, so plan to arrive early to settle in before the 8 PM start.