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You're riding along with Kaitlyn Raitz as she breaks down the real mechanics of touring at scale: staying human on a bus, finding tiny routines that keep you sane, and surviving the sleep math when you're one of twelve buses on a massive run. Then it's straight into the onstage reality of modern country arena production: 24 musicians, a full string quartet, choir, and horns, plus the challenge of making strings translate in a loud arena. You get the practical gear-and-tech layer too: DPA mics and pickups, dynamic EQ, managing cello loudness, and how tools like ToneDexter fit into keeping tone consistent when the room is working against you. You also get the career side, unfiltered: how the Eric Church gig happened through the Nashville relationship web, why being excellent and easy to be around matters, and why “Nashville is a ten-year town” if you want longevity. Kaitlyn's stories span arranging and learning charts mid-tour from iPads, to the whiplash of getting a Grammy call with barely any runway, to recording in LA and wondering how anyone actually functions there. The episode closes with the mindset and performance skills that keep pros durable: protecting your brain and nervous system, flipping a stage persona on and off, and the practical win of transitioning to IEMs for a cellist when monitors are run well. Bottom line: this is how you keep your craft sharp, your head steady, and your show consistent night after night. Always Be Performing. 00:00:00 Gig Gab 522 – Monday, February 23rd, 2026 February 23rd: Curling Is Cool Day Guest co-host: Kaitlyn Raitz 00:01:55 Protein and Joy on the bus 00:02:14 Passing the time productively on the bus…and on the tour Swimming Swimply OR PlacesToSwim.com Thrifting 00:05:53 Sleeping on the bus! Twelve tour busses on this tour 00:07:26 24 Musicians on stage String Quartet 8-Person Choir Horn/Woodwind Quartet 00:09:45 Micing a string quartet in an arena DPA Mics AND pickups Dynamic EQ 00:14:47 Cellos and Loudness ToneDexter 00:18:50 Writing, arranging and learning charts mid-tour! Reading from iPads Eleanor Denning, String Lead and Arranger on the Eric Church Tour Bitter Pill has a cellist, too! 00:21:33 Getting the Eric Church gig Sub list for the Nashville Symphony Everything in Nashville is relationship-based Be good at what you do, and also be a pleasant person that people want to be around Nashville is a ten-year town 00:25:07 SPONSOR: Squarespace. Check out https://www.squarespace.com/GIGGAB to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code GIGGAB. 00:26:55 You played on the Grammy's? Used to play with Brandy Clark, and occasionally gets a one-off gig call still. AND, a week-and-a-half before the Grammy's, the call came in Do you want to play the Grammy's with me? Kaitlyn has questions for LA-denizens: How do you live in LA? Do you see people that you know? Do you take public transportation? Recorded at Sunset Sounds in LA 00:33:05 Protecting your brain and nervous system Take on a persona “You are Kaitlyn Motherfucking Raitz” “We are bad bitches, we have earned this” Gary Cherone is the master of turning the stage persona on AND OFF Let the lights blind you 00:40:25 Transitioning to IEMs It's great for a cellist! IEMs are better than having to use bone conduction Kaitlyn's IEM mix – she hears the band It comes down to who's running monitors Ultimate Ears UE7 Pros IEMs 00:47:06 Kaitlyn Raitz's Music 00:48:52 Gig Gab 522 Outtro Follow Kaitlyn Raitz On Instagram On Facebook Contact Gig Gab! @GigGabPodcast on Instagram feedback@giggabpodcast.com Sign Up for the Gig Gab Mailing List The post From the Eric Church Tour to the Grammys: On the Bus with Cellist Kaitlyn Raitz – Gig Gab 522 appeared first on Gig Gab.
Aquiles and Liz interview Mackenzie Miller about Denver Violins. Special Guest: Mackenzie Miller .
For Super-Spiked subscribers that prefer that written posts, we have included a lightly edited transcript of the video (blue download button below) along with a downloadable copy of the slide deck.WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of a lightly edited transcript using the blue Download buttons below.We are still in road warrior mode, having only been at our primary residence for 13 of the first 45 days of 2026. Though I have to say, industry events this year in Miami, Whistler, and Cabo will leave many of you not feeling too sorry for us. So this week we have a very quick FAQ on the “take risk” messaging we've been using for 2026, and they are all around the theme of how to think about corporate strategy in a world of maturing US shale oil.
For Super-Spiked subscribers that prefer that written posts, we have included a lightly edited transcript of the video (blue download button below) along with a downloadable copy of the slide deck.WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of a lightly edited transcript and the slide deck using the blue Download buttons below.This week we have some fun with Bloomberg pictures we created that highlight the information one can sometimes glean about traditional energy from other commodity markets like copper and other metals and minerals. Through the first half of the 2000s super-cycle, we used to spend a bunch of time looking at copper, steel, and iron ore for hints on what was going on with China, global oil demand, and broader macro conditions. Like oil, those other areas are plays on global GDP growth and infrastructure expansion, CAPEX if you will. Today, we think we are in the early days of another one of those cycles via the combination of AI & digital transformation, expanding energy access, and growing geopolitical competition when it comes to both industrial reshoring and also military. We see each of those trends contributing to a virtuous GDP cycle. In the five pictures we go through today, we show that AI & tech started the trend, which then spread to power markets and most recently to copper and other metals. We think oil markets will be the next to benefit. Our base case view has been that oil is in a bottoming phase characterized by perhaps modest oversupply in 1H2026 but no oil glut, and that the next upcycle takes hold either later this year or 2027. Either way, now is the time for energy companies to be thinking about where they want to take risk in order to drive shareholder value for the decade ahead.
For Super-Spiked subscribers that prefer that written posts, we have included a lightly edited transcript of the video (blue download button below) along with a downloadable copy of the slide deck.WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of a lightly edited transcript and the slide deck using the blue Download buttons below.We are just back from nine days on the road across the western U.S. and British Columbia. A key theme we highlighted at both the Goldman Sachs energy conference in Miami earlier this month and at a CIBC dinner panel last week in Whistler was the need for companies to take risk. Three points we discuss in the video podcast: (1) Why the “take risk” messaging now?: (2) The distinction between large-cap and SMID-cap risk taking; and (3) SMID-cap opportunities.
For Super-Spiked subscribers that prefer that written posts, we have included a lightly edited transcript of the video (blue download button below) along with a downloadable copy of the slide deck.WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of a lightly edited transcript and the slide deck using the blue Download buttons below.2026 kicked off with the dramatic news of the US's incursion into Venezuela and capture of its president Nicolas Maduro. Protests against the ruling regime in Iran have also captured the world's attention. We will aim to put those events into the context of our long-term oil macro view, which of course is our focus at Super-Spiked. As a reminder and as a disclaimer, we look at these events through our lens as an energy equity research analyst and a current partner at Veriten. There is no commentary in this video about specific companies.⚡️On A Personal Note: RIP Bob Weir
Aquiles and Jerry interview Estafan Cortez on he and and Samantha's journey to becoming business owners. Special Guest: Estefan Cortez .
For Super-Spiked subscribers that prefer that written posts, we have included a lightly edited transcript of the video (blue download button below) along with a downloadable copy of the slide deck.WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of a lightly edited transcript and the slide deck using the blue Download buttons below.Last week's video podcast was a look back on our Big Themes for 2025 that we highlighted in January (here). We did pretty well with the 3 main themes, but not so good on 4 sub-topics we teased. We will aim to be better targeted on what we highlight for 2026. This week we evaluate how we did on our “Top 10 Tactical Calls” that we published in late January (here). We use a “Good Call” or “Bad Call” framework to assess how we did. Spoiler alert: Overall we did well, but were far from perfect. Finally, we do a broader assessment on how we are feeling about major Super-Spiked themes and topic areas after what has now been 4 years of publishing. What are we proud of, what if anything are we not, and what are we thinking looking ahead. We heard from many of you that appreciated that we did a proper assessment of our calls. Someone even said we were a tough self-grader. It baffles us why everyone doesn't take this approach. Companies put out targets or promises, Wall Street analysts make calls and publish outlook reports, academia and policy shops do their own version of opinion making. All those groups, in our humble opinion, would benefit from doing their own self-assessment. People like them! It's popular. It builds credibility and accountability. This will be our final Super-Spiked of 2025. We will return most likely on January 10th. On behalf of everyone associated with Super-Spiked and Veriten, we wish you and your families a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a great Holiday Season!!!
For Super-Spiked subscribers that prefer that written posts, this week we are including for the first time a lightly edited transcript of the video (blue download button below) along with a downloadable copy of the slide deck.WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of a lightly edited transcript using blue Download button below.In this week's video podcast we take a look back at the major themes we highlighted at the start of this year in a written post on January 11, 2025 (here). The 3 major topic areas were (1) energy scenario normalization; (2) power; and (3) how we thought about various energy sources and technologies. We had also teased several sub-themes about crude oil, China, M&A, and US/Canada policy. With nearly a year's hindsight, we did decently well on the three major topic areas, but left a lot to be desired on the four bonus topics. We believe it is always a good idea with those kind of posts to revisit how things played out.
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.We are coming to you this week from the Middle East. We are in the middle of a great trip that has been put together by the Center on Global Energy Policy, where we are an advisory board member. As of this recording, we have spent time in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Riyadh, with 2 more stops still to come. We are going to have to keep this video short amidst a packed schedule, so will limit our comments to some quick macro takeaways on (1) oil markets; (2) China's manufacturing dominance; and (3) other energy sources.
For Super-Spiked subscribers that prefer that written posts, this week we are including for the first time a lightly edited transcript of the video (blue download button below) along with a downloadable copy of the slide deck.WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of a lightly edited transcript using blue Download button below.DOWNLOAD a pdf of the slide deck using the blue Download button below.This week we dive into the global macro picture around the power super cycle theme, what we are calling Power Surge! There is a lot of attention especially here in the U.S. about the domestic opportunity set. We share that enthusiasm but view the power super cycle as a global theme as well.Some of the major questions we hope to address either in this video podcast or in future weeks include: Does a power super-cycle imply an acceleration in global GDP growth like we saw 20 years ago with the China/BRICs expansion theme? Will a power super-cycle lift all energy boats or just some? What might be the drivers of different energy sources doing better or worse than expected in the coming decade? And finally what are the best ways for corporates and investors to play the power super-cycle theme? This week we focus on: (1) global trends in power vs oil demand; (2) regional variations in growth. Key messages: (1) the idea that we will have a power super-cycle but plateauing oil demand is non-sensical...both will grow (2) US appears to be joining notable emerging markets as a pro-growth region.
Aquiles and Becka interview Nancy, Eric, and Nathan Benning about working in a multigenerational violin shop. Special Guests: Eric Benning , Nancy Benning , and Nathan Benning .
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.We have just wrapped up an especially heavy 3-week stretch of board, management, and industry meetings. Included have been various meetings in and around the power sector. As someone who has spent his career on the other side of energy--i.e., oil & gas--it has been a lot of fun ramping up on the power side of the business. Historically oil & gas and power have been essentially two completely separate industries, each with their own macro drivers, corporate outlooks, and analyst coverage. And while today many differences of course remain, there are a growing number of areas of convergence. In this short video, we will give a few thoughts from our recent travels that we will expand upon in coming months. There are five points we want to highlight:First, we think energy is in the early days of the 3rd major super-cycle in our lifetime. The first was the Arab Oil Embargo years of the 1970s and the second was the Chia/BRICs expansion of the 2000s. Both were at their core crude oil market events. Geopolitical security was the dominant narrative of the 1970s. Billion-person scale emerging market (EM) demand growth characterized the latter. The current super-cycle marries both drivers but it is power, rather than crude oil, that is at the heart of this era. AI datacenters rightfully get a lot of attention. But aging developed market grids that need new investment is also an important trend. Perhaps most importantly, the substantial unmet energy needs of the other 7 billion people on Earth will arguably be the greatest driver of global power demand. This super-cycle is all about global power needs on multiple fronts. Second point and a key lesson from the mis-guided “The Energy Transition” era is that the world clearly is going to need all forms of energy, including many newer technologies where the timing of scaling economics is still uncertain. Examples of that last point are nuclear SMRs and enhanced geothermal to name just two. Power is an enabling driver of crude oil demand in the developing world. We suspect this is most visible in Africa today as an example. It is interesting and ironic: growth in renewables power is boosting oil demand.Third point: energy sources and technologies are not in competition with each other for a finite pool of demand. That is the energy substitution argument being trotted out by those that in recent years believed in The Energy Transition. Rather, relative economics, reliability, and geopolitical security are going to cause periods of strong and weaker demand at various points of time for different areas. As an example, LNG priced at world oil prices we do not think displaces domestic coal demand in places like India and China. But it is a complementary and diversifying fuel for power generation which is important to having a healthy power market. And new areas like LNG trucks can help reduce dependence on crude oil imports from what would otherwise be the case. Again, it is additive, not substitutive. Fourth, where crude oil cycles are inherently global in nature, power is typically highly local or regional, but today also has a global overlay via EM growth. Fifth, we are perhaps most optimistic to see major energy consumers, in particular Big Tech and Big Industrials, proactively engaging in energy macro and policy discussions. We see this at Veriten via an expanding and increasingly diversified client base. We see it in the many meetings we have attended. This in our view significantly raises the odds that we move away from the divisive rhetoric and policies that characterized The Energy Transition era to one that appropriately prioritizes energy's natural hierarchy of needs.
Brandon Godman interviews David Bromberg about his lifetime of collecting American violins. Special Guest: David Bromberg .
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of the slide deck by clicking the blue Download button below.We are going to go back to the future this week to discuss the seemingly verboten topic of “sustainability.” Believe it or not, it is actually one of the most asked for topics at the various industry, board and management meetings we have spoken at this Fall. It's never the first question and usually comes towards the end when a brave sole that likely works in this area asks “where do you think the topic of sustainability is headed?” As with everything we do, our focus is on how energy companies should think about the topic with a view toward the decade ahead—not today, not just the next 2.5 years, but what will stand the test time and the inevitable pendulum swings from what investors and politicians claim they want.
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.We are in the midst of another heavy travel stretch so it's going to be a short video this week. Three quick topics this week: (1) Takeaways from the recent energy outlooks that have been published? (2) Contrarian views on recent data points; (3) Why we think the current oil glut debate misses the bigger picture.
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of the slide deck by clicking the blue Download button below.For the past month or so we have been pushing back on the “oil glut” narrative and the pervasive oil gloom that has existed really since Liberation Day in early April of this year, which coincided with news of an accelerated unwind of OPEC quota cuts. Another week has gone by. We are now nearly at the end of September and firmly in the post summer, pre-winter “shoulder months” period for refinery runs that in prior periods of weak balances has seen crude soften. At least through the September 24th recording date of this video, crude oil prices are hanging in there around the mid-$60s.This week we check-in on where traditional energy stands in terms of growth and profitability, which are the drivers of absolute and relative equity performance. As we have previously noted, the biggest challenge the sector faces is not unfavorable narratives from leading macro agencies or environmental activists, but a now nearly 2-year period of EPS underperformance and a softening in profitability metrics. Our two key messages this week are (1) we believe we are now much closer to the trough of what we think has been a 2-2.5-year mini-downcycle following peak oil prices seen immediately after the start of the Russia-Ukraine War in 2022. and (2) As a result of where current profitability is and where we think it is headed in coming years, Energy should close the gap between its current discounted 3% market cap weighting in favor of its 5% earnings weighting in the S&P 500.It remains our view that 2020 marked the bottom of a structural downcycle that began in 2008 and that 2025 will ultimately prove to be year 5 of a structurally better period for profitability that we expect to last through at least the end of this decade. We reiterate our long-standing call that the energy sector will return to a market cap weighting in the S&P 500 closer to its historic 8%-10% range.
Becka and Liz talk with Roman Barnas and Lisbeth Butler about education. Special Guests: Lisbeth Butler and Roman Barnas .
A guitarist-composer invents her own sound, a young pianist performs Liszt with power and finesse and an all-star cello quartet rocks Piazzolla.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.We have started a heavy Fall travel schedule, with our annual talk at the Oxford Energy Seminar last week and a corporate event in the Rocky Mountains this past week. We wanted to provide a trio of “long-takes” that are jumping out at us: (1) a burst in energy policy rationality and normalization that is being seen from three areas that were previously all in in "The Energy Transition"--California, Canada, and the IEA. (2) we continue to see mounting evidence that fears of an "oil glut" are way overdone, though we likely still need to get through potential shoulder month, seasonal softness over the next 4-8 weeks. Regardless, we believe we are in a bottoming phase for oil-leveraged energy equities which have been very out of favor. (3) A reminder that it is the outlook for returns and growth, not “peak demand” or “oil glut” narratives the IEA or Street analysts, that will drive energy equities.
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.As all of you that have been watching our video podcasts or reading our posts over the years by now surely know, our focus at Super-Spiked and at Veriten has been on the long-term outlook for the energy sector, not the shorter-term oil price guessing game. But in recent weeks, we have not been able to resist weighing in on what we think is an excessively bearish consensus view of oil prices—the perceived massive oil glut—that has been weighing heavily on energy equity sentiment since the early April so-called "Liberation Day" tariff announcements that coincided with OPEC+ accelerating the unwind of a series of voluntary production cuts. That double whammy has driven an overwhelming consensus sentiment to be bearish oil demand while also assuming a surge in both non-OPEC and OPEC crude supply would drive oil prices to $50 or lower in 2025. But we are now 5.5 months past that early April bearish shift, and crude oil prices, at least so far, are proving far more resilient than expected even as OPEC+ has made incremental moves to unwind production cuts. Last week in a written post (here), we linked the excessive bearish near-term sentiment to a similar overhang that exists on the long-term oil view, where there is still a lingering let's call it a "net zero world" overhang that crude oil demand will peak in coming years or at best have minimal growth. We have observed that using OPEC Research analyses, rather than the IEA as a baseline, shows far less cyclical or structural crude oil oversupply. Yes, there is a still some softness that might be expected for coming months, but nothing like the "oil glut" that everyone fears.This week we follow up on last week's written post on this topic to set the record straight on a couple of items, address pushbacks to our pushback to anti-oil and gas macro biases in short-term analyses, and raise some new points on the near- and long-term oil macro outlook. There are 4 major areas we will discuss: (1) how we are thinking about OPEC+'s quota unwind; (2) China oil demand; (3) the role of US shale going forward; and (4) is there any chance the oil glut bears could still be proven correct.
Liz Perry and Becka Hannigan talk with Alex Wilson of the VMSA and Antoine Nedelec of the CSVM. Special Guests: Alex Wilson and Antoine Nedelec.
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.We have a bonus Super-Spiked video podcast on a week we were not expecting to publish due to a college drop off. But last weekend we couldn't resist digging into trying to understand why crude oil prices have been far more resilient in the face of unexpected OPEC quota increases and a seemingly lackluster economic backdrop. Our punchline is that while we agree there is risk of oil price softness in the back-half of this year and early 2026, underlying crude oil supply/demand balances are not anywhere near as oversupplied as consensus fears. We believe fears of a crash and potential extended bear market are way overdone. We are also gaining confidence that by the time we get to 2H2026 and 2027, oil price risk shifts more meaningfully to the upside. The main points of difference in our more constructive outlook are (1) to disaggregate black crude oil from the more widely reported and followed overall liquids figures; and (2) to give greater consideration to OPEC Research's Monthly Oil Market Report versus the more broadly used equivalent report (Oil Market Report) from the IEA. Over the past month, we have published several posts (here, here, and here) that have examined the long-term outlook from various macro forecasting agencies, consultants, and oil companies. We conclude OPEC Research leads the pack on being most realistic and pragmatic and was least impacted by “net zero / energy transition” madness of the prior 4-5 years. That doesn't mean they are necessarily better at short-term supply/demand balances, but we don't think they should be entirely ignored or dismissed either. As a reminder, at Super-Spiked and Veriten, our focus is on the long-term outlook for energy markets and companies. We have zero interest in joining the short-term oil price guessing game that the Street and others tend to focus on. But in this case, the prevailing bearish narrative around crude oil is so pronounced and at odds with what we are seeing, we thought it worth commenting. It remains our view that prudent risk management suggests oil companies and investors should always be prepared for the potential to have a “normal” trough, which we would describe as low $50s for a 12-month period. Our message today is not to ignore that long-standing advice. But rather to recognize that sentiment is likely way too bearish and that medium- and longer-term risks are skewed toward better outcomes than consensus narratives suggest. Exhibit 1: Underlying “black crude oil” balances using OPEC's MOMR appears significantly less bearish than implied “liquids” oversupply using IEA OMR balancesSource: IEA, OPEC, Veriten.
Sustentação oral que fiz no julgamento de Medida Cautelar na ADI. n. 2757730-17.2024.8.13.0000, julgada pelo Órgão Especial do TJMG em 13.08.2025, representando o CELLOS-MG.
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of the slide deck by clicking the blue Download button below.This week we extend our “Obliterating Peak Oil Demand” series to take on other mainstream macro narratives with a focus on natural gas. We have to admit, it did not even cross our mind that the outlook for global gas demand was anything other than continued growth for the foreseeable future. In fact, there are a number of high-profile macro forecasters projecting a permanent peak in global natural gas demand by as soon as 2030 and in some cases the mid-2030s. This, in our view, is pure insanity. We will take the over, and in fact the way over, that global natural gas demand will grow for many, many decades into the future.Perhaps we were lulled into a false sense of presumed natural gas growth optimism based on what we think is a broad-based acceptance of US natural gas growth due to LNG export expansion and now AI-driven power demand growth. But we are realizing that a positive view of US growth is not necessarily extending to a positive view on global natural gas growth for some of the major macro forecasting agencies.The final topic we discuss this week is a warning to ignore energy macro forecasters that merely tweak prior "transition" assumptions by pushing them slightly out in time. It was an article in the Financial Times this past week that caught our attention on this front and we would strongly encourage energy executives, investors, and board members to simply ignore and pushback on energy macro outlooks that are not grounded in energy's natural hierarchy of needs, which acknowledges that energy availability and reliability is all everyone everywhere cares about. Macro forecasts that prioritize counting carbon should not be the basis for how to think about capital allocation.Before we dig in, two reminders. If you are listening to this on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, there is a corresponding video you can find on YouTube (here), Substack (here), or Veriten's website (here). And second, this will be our final Super-Spiked of the summer. We will return after Labor Day.Exhibit 1: We do not agree with energy macro forecasting groups that are calling for a peak in global gas demand by 2030 or 2035Source: Energy Institute, IEA, OPEC, Veriten.Exhibit 2: We do not agree with the projected sharp slowdown in global gas consumption growth made by some leading energy macro forecastersSource: Energy Institute, IEA, OPEC, Veriten.Peak natural gas even more non-sensical than oil* The idea that global natural gas demand will peak, or even slow, by 2030 is even more far-fetched than the oil debate.* Global power demand expected to grow at a healthy clip.* 24x7x365 requirement supports base-load natural gas, coal, nuclear.* Geothermal, while worth studying, is still unproven at scale; hydro is niche.* Solar + batteries will grow in areas with high solar radiation. Wind is also location specific.* Natural gas does need to compete on overall price/cost economics with alternatives.* Access to capital matters in natural gas, which lacks the mega caps seen in the oil value chain.Don't fall for “delayed transition” narratives* There is now broad-based recognition that the “easy energy transition”” is a bad joke that has adverse societal consequences.* Our Obliterating Peak Oil Demand series, which we have extended to coal and natural gas, illustrates the absurdity.* The mindset that everyone deserves to be energy rich is gaining in acceptance.* What to watch: (1) With upcoming high profile energy outlooks, watch for “delayed transition” language, which is a cop out. (2) If you are a corporate executive, board member, or investor, don't fall for it in making capital allocation decisions.Exhibit 3: Don't fall for “delayed transition” narrativesSource: Financial Times.⚡️ On A Personal Note: Summer Reading List
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.Last week we did a check-in on how the answers to the tactical questions for 2025 we posed back in January were faring (here). This week we go through our Big Themes for 2025 which we had also highlighted back in January (here). We look at what's in and what's out through the lens of macro frameworks, public policy implications, and finally corporate strategy and energy sub-sector outlooks. We will publish our final summer Super-Spiked next week before taking a 2-week hiatus until after Labor Day. BIG THEMES FOR 2025* Energy scenario normalization * Power surge: This generation's super-cycle * Energy sources and technologies MACRO FRAMEWORK IMPLICATIONS * Net Zero and “The Energy Transition” are out. Energy policies that will drive GDP growth and meeting energy's natural hierarchy of needs are in. * Solving for everyone on Earth someday becoming energy rich is in. Assuming people will choose to stay poor is out. * OPEC Research is in. Energy macro agencies and oil companies that were driven by “net zero” narratives are out (for now). What to watch: * BP Energy Outlook (Sep), IEA WEO (Oct) * Africa's significant TAM (total address market): Up to 60 million b/d of desired oil demand versus 5 million b/d todayPOLICY IMPLICATIONS * Energy policy that drives long-term affordability, reliability, and security are in. Policies that start with counting CO2 are out. * IRA is out. Meeting AI demand is in. * Some of the above is in. All of the above was never in. * Regions that are long energy resource should all be in, but some are still out (California) or not sufficiently in (Canada). What to watch: * US natural gas midstream infrastructure * Canada oil and natural gas export infrastructure * Reliability, affordability reforms in California, Western Europe CORPORATE IMPLACATIONS * Companies exposed to power value chain are in. Natural gas is in. Oil value chain is still out. * Solar + batteries are still in. Wind is out. * Nuclear is in. “Green” hydrogen is out. Geothermal hoping to be in. * IPPs are in. SMID oils (E&P, OFS) are out, though SMID OFS diversifying into power are in. * Companies driving new technology development in regions that are short energy resource are in… * …Companies that exist to exploit rich-world government subsidies in the name of CO2 accounting are out.
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.This week we check-in on how our “Top 10 Tactical Questions for 2025” published on January 25, 2025 (here) are faring. MACRO ORIENTED (1) Will energy's S&P weighting increase in 2025? Original answer: Yes. Mid-year progress: Wrong so far, but narrative discussed is on-track. (2) Will we see energy outlooks from high-profile organizations stop treating “net zero” as if it were the defining issue? Original answer: Change is coming, but will take time and we'll get wishy washy language in 2025. Mid-year progress: This is on-track to happen more quickly than we anticipated. (3) Can oil become great again in 2025? Original answer: No, Super Vol not super-cycle remains our view. Mid-year progress: Correct so far. GEOPOLITICS & POLICY (4) Will the IRA be repealed, reformed, or left alone? Original answer: Reformed. Mid-year progress: Probably we are technically correct in that the IRA was not repealed, but it was so meaningfully gutted that it very much feels like it was repealed. (5) Will Trump make the Arctic great going forward? Original answer: Yes. Mid-year progress: Trump Administration is giving the Alaska/Arctic appropriate attention. SUB-SECTOR OUTLOOKS (6) Will power-exposed sectors lead the way in 2025? Original answer: Yes. Mid-year progress: Correct so far. (7) What new technology area are you watching more closely to break-out in 2025? Original answer: Autonomous driving. Mid-year progress: The “robo taxi” market is nascent but starting to expand to more areas. M&A (8) Will we see an acceleration of O&G firms enter power markets and, if so, how? Original answer: Yes and organic.Mid-year progress: To be determined. (9) Does the Venture Global IPO signal the tide is turning on energy sector capital formation? Original answer: Yes. Mid-year progress: Wrong so far. (10) Will we see a surprising mega merger in energy? Original answer: Yes. Mid-year progress: Hasn't happened yet.
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of the slide deck by clicking the blue Download button below.Last week we published a written post that took a fresh look at a long standing theme of ours “obliterating peak oil demand” (here). We dug into OPEC Research's most recent World Oil Outlook report (here) to compare OPEC's more optimistic view of long-term oil demand to more bearish forecasts from the IEA and frankly many other leading energy voices. Our own outlook is closely aligned with OPEC's in recognizing the massive unmet energy needs of the other 7 billion people on Earth. The idea that anyone can know today that oil demand is going to permanently peak within the next decade is something we push back hard on. That post has sparked a number of questions, five of which we will aim to address today.Our On A Personal Note this week remembers heavy metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away on July 21. I was fortunate to catch a Black Sabbath reunion tour in 2016.
Elizabeth Perry talks with Benjamin Hebbert and John Wright about the future of training violin makers in the UK. Special Guests: Benjamin Hebbert and John Wright .
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of the slide deck by clicking the blue Download button below.We hope everyone enjoyed a great 4th of July holiday. This week we will start to flush out a new theme of ours, what we are calling “some of the above, depending on country and region" as the better macro and policy framing for energy. It will undoubtedly get shortened to simply "some of the above" and is meant to reflect that the energy sources and technologies that might make sense for one country or region might not make sense for another. Super-Spiked was created as a protest to that narrow definition of "The Energy Transition" that said all areas must quickly switch only into renewables + EVs and out of fossil fuels within an absurdly short time frame. That movement never made sense and we think is being relegated to the dustbin of history. But its replacement with terms like "all of the above" and "energy pragmatism" are imperfect and imprecise in a different direction. Pragmatism can mean many different things to many different people and both phrases imply an "anything goes" mindset that frankly isn't how countries or companies are going to act. Instead, practically speaking, the choices that will be made are "some of the above, depending on country or region."
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WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.Ahead of what will be a holiday week off to celebrate America's Birthday, we have five thoughts we wanted to share this week around key themes, research ideas, and some what ifs that we are thinking about:(1) What will it take to get the traditional energy sector, in particular those exposed to the crude oil value chain going again? (2) Private versus public company mindset and opportunities,(3) Domestic coal.(4) "Some of the above" as the correct macro framework for specific regions.(5) A changing Middle East.
The market keeps changing. Luthiers, shop owners, and resellers are doing their best to stay profitable in a economic uncertainty. What are some practical steps to take? Join Rozie and Brandon as they talk with Daniel Jobe of the CPA firm Friedman, Kannenberg & Co., a group that has been serving the music industry for over 30 years. to discuss the economic landscape and pressures we are currently facing.
WATCH the video on Substack by clicking the play button above or on YouTube (here).STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts (here), Spotify (here), or your favorite podcast player app.This week we provide "long takes" on the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Iran. Long takes are our attempt to provide perspective on the long-term implications--as opposed to "hot takes"--of current events. We recorded this mid-day U.S. time on Friday, June 13.
We're in the midst of a kind of animation renaissance with the release of shows like PANTHEON, SCAVENGERS REIGN, and COMMON SIDE EFFECTS. Not to mention revivals of hit comedies like KING OF THE HILL and FUTURAMA and irreverent superhero shows like INVINCIBLE and CREATURE COMMANDOS. DJ is joined by Johnny 2 Cellos to discuss what this means for the future of animated shows for adults! Pre-Order DJ's New Comic! https://dangerboi.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
Team Omo answers listener submitted questions
Jerry interviews violin makers Michael Doran and Ryan Soltis about making new models and personal models. Special Guests: Michael Doran and Ryan Soltis .
Katherine and Joshua talk bows with bow maker Richard Morency. Special Guest: Richard Morency .
Guest host Becka Hannigan talks with Rozie DeLoach-Zimmerman and Anya Burgess about applications to make running your violin shop easier. Special Guests: Anya Burgess and Rozie Deloach .