David Byrne paused after opening his concert at the Dolby Theatre on Thursday with a gorgeous rendition of the Talking Heads ‘ “Heaven,” and delivered what in hindsight was his thesis for the first of two nights in Hollywood.

“Not that long ago, I read an interview with the actor and director John Cameron Mitchell who said that – I’m paraphrasing here – he said that love and kindness are the most punk things you can do right now,” Byrne said.

“I didn’t see the connection really,” he continued as the cheers that greeted Byrne’s first Los Angeles show in seven years finally died down. “And then I sort of understood. Yes. Those things, love and kindness, are a form of resistance.”

David Byrne performs at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, CA, on Thursday, November 20, 2025. (Photo by Dav

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