Trail Listening Post

Filmmaker John Wilson (creator of HBO’s How To with John Wilson) joins Tommy Evans on Trail 103.3’s Trail Lunchbox for a conversation that starts with a snowstorm detour in Deer Lodge and ends at the literal foundation of New York City.

Wilson’s new feature The History of Concrete follows his attempt to make a documentary about the world’s most overlooked material—until the film industry reality sets in. After taking a class on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, he tries applying that formula to a movie about concrete… and his plan begins to crack—both figuratively and (in true John Wilson fashion) surprisingly literally.

Montana Premiere: Thu, Feb 19 at 5:00 PM at the MCT, followed by a Q&A with director John Wilson.

More info and tickets at bigskyfilmfest.org.

Director Johanna Gustin joins Mike Smith (with BSDFF’s Nick Davis) to talk about her world-premiere short I Think About Birds—a sharply funny, uneasy journey through the algorithmic rabbit hole of online dating coaches, contrasted with surprisingly romantic bird behavior and the real emotional risks of intimacy. The conversation touches on “desktop documentary” filmmaking, pulling hours of material from YouTube, and how online spaces can quietly shape the way we think about relationships.

I Think About Birds screens Thu, Feb 19 at 6:00 PM at the ZACC and Sat, Feb 21 at 12:30 PM at the Wilma, and is available to stream Feb 22–26, 2026. 

Trail 103.3 is proud to once again be a media partner of the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula — and this week we’re welcoming filmmakers, directors, and special guests into the Trail studio for quick conversations about the films lighting up the festival.

In this episode, Mike Smith sits down with Peter Nauffts (archival producer) to talk about Sun Ra: Do the Impossible — the American Masters documentary spotlighting the poet, philosopher, Egyptologist, bandleader, and jazz visionary Sun Ra, and his ever-evolving ensemble, the Sun Ra Arkestra. The film traces how Sun Ra built a singular musical and spiritual vision of Afrofuturism, blending ancient Egypt, interstellar metaphors, and boundary-pushing free-form jazz. 

Peter also breaks down what archival producing actually looks like today (the sifting, the treasure-hunting, the format headaches, and the magic of finding the right shot), plus why Sun Ra’s work still feels like it’s broadcasting from the future.

Film info (Big Sky Doc Fest):
Sun Ra: Do the Impossible (84 min) — Director/Producer: Christine Turner.
Montana Premiere — Screening at the ZACC: Wed, Feb. 18 @ 8:30 PM, followed by a conversation between MTPR’s Bryan Ramirez and Peter Nauffts. 

🎟️ Full festival screenings, showtimes, tickets & passes: bigskyfilmfest.org

From the 23rd annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, we sit down with director Caron Creighton and former Wood Street resident John Janosko to talk about Wood Street—a 2026, 100-minute documentary following two unhoused men turned organizers, John and LaMonté, as they build community power in West Oakland in the face of displacement, addiction, and a failing social system. 

We talk about how the Wood Street Commons formed, what mutual aid and organizing looked like day-to-day, and why Caron chose to center unhoused voices as the experts of their own experience.

World Premiere screening: MCT — Wed, Feb 18 @ 5:00 PM (see full schedule at bigskyfilmfest.org).
--> Get involved: woodstreetcommons.org

Trail 103.3 is proud to once again be a media partner of the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival—a week of powerful, story-driven cinema and community conversation right here in Missoula. Each year, Big Sky brings filmmakers, subjects, and audiences together for screenings, Q&As, and events that spotlight documentaries from around the world—stories that challenge, connect, and deepen our understanding of the people and places around us.

🎬 Film: Wood Street (World Premiere)
📍 Festival: Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (Missoula, MT)
🗓️ Screenings & Showtimes: Full schedule at bigskyfilmfest.org
🏛️ World Premiere Screening: MCT — Wed, Feb 18 @ 5:00 PM

Big Sky Doc Fest runs February 2026 in Missoula, featuring in-person screenings plus select virtual options. If you’re hearing this during festival week, check the lineup, tickets, and details at bigskyfilmfest.org—and stay tuned to Trail 103.3 all week for more filmmaker interviews and festival coverage. Special thank you to the filmmakers, directors, producers and subjects for joining us in studio to tell their stories. 

From the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana, we sit down in the Trail 103.3 studios with filmmaker Pete Sillen, who brings two rare music documentaries to Big Sky: Speed Racer: Welcome to the World of Vic Chesnutt and Benjamin Smoke (co-directed with Jem Cohen).

Pete shares how he first discovered the power of Vic Chesnutt’s songwriting in Athens, Georgia, how a chance connection through Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) helped lead to filming during the recording of West of Rome, and why these two films — tied by friendship, influence, and the Georgia music scene — create a unique “conversation” when screened together.

We also talk about documentary filmmaking in a fast-changing era, why human-scale storytelling matters more than ever, and what Pete’s working on next — including his Sundance-premiered film Love Machina.

Screening + Q&A (Missoula):
🎬 Saturday @ 4:30 PM — ZACC (Zootown Arts Community Center)
Details + full festival schedule: bigskyfilmfest.org
Film page: https://www.bigskyfilmfest.org/festival/films-2026-view/speed_racer_welcome_to_the_world_of_vic_chesnutt

Films featured:

• Speed Racer: Welcome to the World of Vic Chesnutt
• Benjamin Smoke (co-directed with Jem Cohen)

From the 23rd Annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana, we sit down in the Trail 103.3 studios with filmmaker and subject Sam Soliman to talk about his short documentary Almost American — a deeply personal story that also reflects the larger national conversation around immigration, DACA, and belonging in the United States.

Sam shares how a leadership grant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania sparked the project, why travel restrictions under DACA shaped the journey, and what it’s like to document your own life while living the story in real time. We also hear from members of the film team about shaping the film through multiple cuts and what it meant to premiere at Big Sky.

Plus, Sam talks about his mental-health-focused streetwear brand Hood Hippie: Love Yourself and the mission behind building community through creativity.

Film: Almost American
Festival: Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (Missoula, MT)
Year: 2025
Runtime: 15 minutes
Country: USA
World Premiere

Directors: Saritha Rothermel, Samuel Soliman
Producers: Adrian Selkowitz, Baktash Ahadi

Screenings & Showtimes (ZACC – Missoula)

• Monday, February 16 @ 5:30 PM
• Tuesday, February 17 @ 1:30 PM
• Friday, February 20 @ 4:00 PM

🎥 Virtual Screening:
Available to stream February 21–26, 2026
More info and tickets at bigskyfilmfest.org

About the Film:

For Sam, America has always been home. Yet without a pathway to citizenship, he — along with more than half a million DACA recipients — lives in legal limbo, dependent on a temporary status renewed every two years. When his mother is suddenly deported, Sam is forced to confront his own precarious reality through a new lens.

Categories:

Mini-Doc Competition
 World Premiere Shorts
 Activism & Justice

📲 Instagram: @almostamericandoc

Erika Fredrickson, co-founder of The Pulp stops by the Trail studio with an exciting announcement.  

The Pulp is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization serving Missoula and western Montana. Launched September 2023 by Erika Fredrickson and Matthew Frank, former reporters and editors at the defunct but beloved Missoula Independent, in response to the deepening local journalism crisis in Missoula and across the country. The Pulp’s mission is to produce in-depth journalism that informs and engages the people of Missoula and western Montana and advances transparency, equity, and democracy.  Tail1033 is a proud community supporter of this vital organization. 

Always FREE to read, support is welcome. Thepulp.org

It’s fair week in Missoula, which means live music, local food, late sunsets… and of course, Trail Live Sessions from the Trail studio! For this episode, we welcomed River City Rhythm Band—a longtime local favorite with deep roots and some serious chemistry.

I’ve known a lot of bands who say they’re collaborative, but these three—Alyssa McQuain, Ty Armourding, and Dan DeLong—really mean it. From sharing pizza at practice to cracking each other up between songs, they’re clearly in this for the joy of making music together. They’ve been playing in various projects for over two decades, and this particular trio has been rocking shows around Western Montana for the past year and a half.

Ahead of their big 9PM set on the fairgrounds stage at the Western Montana Fair, they dropped by the Trail to share stories, talk influences (Mumford & Sons, Blink-182, and Ozzy came up—so you know it’s a ride), and play two stripped-down live tracks that gave us chills in the headphones.

🎶 Songs performed live in-studio:

• “Take Me Home” (Original)
• “Maestro” (Wilder Woods cover)

You can catch River City Rhythm Band on stage tonight—Tuesday, August 5th at 9PM—at the newly revamped Missoula Fairgrounds. It’s an all-ages show, completely free, and we can confirm: these three bring heart, harmony, and a whole lot of fun to the stage.

Thanks to Greenhouse Farmacy for supporting our local music scene and helping make these live sessions possible.

- Tommy

This episode of the Trail Lunchbox welcomes two guests doing critical work to help our community stay healthy and prepared during wildfire season in western Montana. We’re talking all things Wildfire Smoke Ready Week—what it is, why it matters, and how you can take simple, affordable steps to protect yourself, your family, and even your pets when the smoke rolls in.

Joining us in the studio:

🔹 Amy Cilimburg, Executive Director of Climate Smart Missoula
Amy has spent the last decade leading Climate Smart Missoula, working on climate resilience, air quality, and community health. She's a long-time advocate for preparing our neighborhoods for the realities of climate change and helps Missoulians take smart, simple steps to deal with wildfire smoke.

🔹 Carrie Mueller, Air Quality Specialist at Missoula Public Health
Carrie began working on wildfire smoke in 2023 and has quickly become a go-to expert in air quality monitoring, PurpleAir sensors, and making air health information accessible to everyone. She’s focused on helping all Missoula residents—especially vulnerable groups—reduce their smoke exposure.

🌀 What We Cover in This Episode:

✅ What Wildfire Smoke Ready Week is and why we’re now in its fifth year
✅ How smoke affects your body—lungs, heart, immune system, and more
✅ Understanding PM2.5: the microscopic smoke particles that enter your bloodstream
✅ Why pets are just as vulnerable to smoke as we are
✅ Best ways to clean your indoor air—whether you rent, own, or live tiny
✅ What a HEPA air filter is, and how to get one affordably
✅ How to build a DIY box fan/filter at home
✅ The importance of MERV-13 filters for HVAC systems
✅ Tools like Fire.AirNow.gov and MontanaWildfireSmoke.org to check current smoke levels
✅ How and where to find Clean Air Centers in Missoula and the Bitterroot
✅ $100 rebates available now for HEPA filters via Northwestern Energy
✅ How to help your neighbors prepare, especially older adults and vulnerable folks

🌲 Wildfire Smoke Ready Week Events (July 12–19):
Catch the Climate Smart and Public Health teams out in the community all week long!

• Saturday, July 12 & 19 – Missoula Farmers Markets (8AM–12:30PM)
  Visit booths at both markets for air quality resources, indoor air filter demos, and advice on staying healthy inside and out.
• Wednesday, July 16 – Out to Lunch at Caras Park (11AM–2PM)
  Grab lunch and get wildfire smoke resources—plus a chance to enter the raffle to win a HEPA air cleaner!
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (July 15, 16, 18) – Missoula Public Library
  • Tues: 1–4PM
  • Wed: Noon–3PM
  • Fri: 11AM–2PM
     Stop by to talk with the team, grab brochures, and get hands-on info about preparing your home.

Clean Air Centers are now open in Missoula Public Library, Lolo School, Seeley Lake High School, and libraries in Darby, Hamilton, and Stevensville.

We can't stop wildfire smoke from coming—but we can make a plan. Visit MontanaWildfireSmoke.org for everything you need to know about protecting your health this season, from checking air quality reports to cleaning your indoor air affordably.

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🌲 The Trail Listening Post is a podcast series that archives the real-time radio moments that make Missoula, Missoula - live, local, and straight from the airwaves of Trail 103.3, a station as unique as the community we serve. 

On today's Trail Lunchbox, Tommy welcomed two beloved Missoulians deeply connected to the International Choral Festival: Saxon Holbrook, president of the festival and longtime choral singer, and Jürgen Knöller, brewmaster at Bayern Brewing and early festival supporter.

They swap stories about the very first festival in 1987, flipping burgers for Carson, seeing Frank Zappa in Germany, and what makes Missoula’s global celebration of voices so unique. Saxon walks us through what to expect at this year’s festival — from the Choir Crawl to the finale at the Adams Center — while Jürgen shares how Missoula might be brewing up a cross-continental beer collaboration with a sister choral fest in Bavaria.

 🎤 Saxon Holbrook first sang in the festival as a Hellgate High grad in '87 and never looked back. These days he serves as president of the festival board and as technical director for Montana Public Radio and MontanaPBS.

🍺 Jürgen Knöller, originally from Füssen, Bavaria (yes — near the Neuschwanstein Castle), moved to Missoula in 1987 to become brewmaster at Bayern Brewing. He’s been crafting lagers and championing the choral fest ever since.

✨ Whether you’re a lifelong choir nerd or just looking for a great event with international flavor and hometown heart, this one’s for you.

More info and full schedule: choralfestival.org

🎟️ Free events + festival buttons available now!

Listen to The Trail 1033 for live, local Missoula music on air and around the globe at Trail1033.com, TuneIn and the Trail 1033 app.

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🌲 The Trail Listening Post is a podcast series that archives the real-time radio moments that make Missoula, Missoula - live, local, and straight from the airwaves of Trail 103.3, a station as unique as the community we serve.