A new space nestled in the forest at Montana Treehouse Retreat offers an opportunity to host an intimate concert, wedding or event.  

The first event this month features a show with acclaimed singer-songwriter Laura Gibson.  

Retreat co-owner Kati O’Toole said being able to host live music and share the property near Columbia Falls with the community is a marriage of everything she loves.  

“It’s like all my endeavors and dreams combined into one thing. We've put so much intention and thought into building this property up and these treehouses, and I’m a music producer and a performing artist and songwriter,” she said.  

O’Toole is a founding member of Montana folk band Tin Finley, who will host Gibson at the Montana Treehouse Retreat’s first show on Sept. 19, from 6 to 9 p.m.  

Gibson was the first artist featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series in 2008. After having trouble hearing her during a set at SXSW, NPR’s Bob Boilen and Stephen Thompson jokingly told Gibson that when she came to D.C., she should just play a set at Boilen’s desk. It was the origin of the famed online concert series, which has hosted more than a thousand artists in the years since. 

O’Toole said she is hoping their show in the woods evokes that same kind of intimate setting. She is excited to invite more musicians and bands to perform at the venue, bringing in artists that don’t often get to play in the Flathead Valley.  

A multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and producer, Gibson was born and raised in the small Oregon logging town of Coquille. Her most recent album “Goners” is a meditation on grief and empathy, according to her website.  

She will be joined by Tin Finley — composed of O’Toole, Annette Strean, Kirk Cornelius and Eric Hogenson. The seasoned musicians began making their ethereal folk music several years ago, producing heavenly harmonies in songs that discuss love, loss and the ups-and-downs of life.  

But music is just one of O’Toole’s passions, as the Montana Treehouse Retreat has turned a labor of love into a profitable business for her and her husband Darin Robison. Montana Treehouse Retreat, located on Dillon Road, has been featured on HGTV, DIY Network, Lonely Planet, TIME magazine and Outside Magazine.  

The property features three treehouses: the Beverley Boat, Raven’s Nest and Meadowlark. Each impressive in its own way, attendees of the concert will get a good view of all the treehouses as the venue sits toward the back of the property.  

Each treehouse was designed and built by Robison, who is an artist by trade.

“It was basically sweat equity. I mean, we took out some loans. But it was kind of just going for it dream and not being sure if it was going to pan out, and it totally did. Thanks to Instagram, actually,” O’Toole said.  

A post from Visit Montana photographer Michael Matti went viral in 2016 after he took photos of the Meadowlark Treehouse blanketed in fresh snow. The Meadowlark was the first treehouse built, followed by the Raven’s Nest and most recently the Beverly Boat, which was converted to a treehouse after being hauled from Gig Harbor in Washington.  

The couple took on their newest project this year, as Robison cleared a large area in front of the Meadowlark Treehouse to create the event space. Landscaping rock was added around the perimeter, and O’Toole said they would soon be adding a stage and lights to complete the ambiance. 

Though they are already sold out for the September show, VIP stays in the treehouses will be offered for live music shows.  

Tickets for the show are $25 and attendees are asked to bring refreshments and a lawn chair or a blanket, depending on weather. O’Toole said tickets are selling fast for the show, which can seat 100 people. To learn more and purchase tickets, visit montanatreehouseretreat.com/livemusic/.  

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support. 

Kati O'Toole shows the area that will be a wedding and event space at Montana Treehouse Retreat on Thursday, Aug. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

    The Meadowlark treehouse at Montana Treehouse Retreat on Thursday, Aug. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    The Meadowlark treehouse at Montana Treehouse Retreat on Thursday, Aug. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    A bedroom in the Meadowlark treehouse at Montana Treehouse Retreat on Thursday, Aug. 20. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider