Do cycles of violent, intense, but short-lived bursts constitute a significant mode of global starformation in present-day galaxies? Such events can have a profound effect on galaxies, particularly those with shallowpotential wells, and observational measures of their prevalence inform our understanding of a wide range of issues ingalaxy evolution. I will highlight what we have learned about starbursts from multi-wavelength observations of galaxiesin the local volume on both galactic and smaller scales, and explore how connections with the study of the deaths ofmassive stars may further our understanding of open issues in galaxy evolution.