Coffee, Community, and Carrying the Flame with Drury Anderson

In Episode 67 of the Music Festivals Podcast, I share a conversation with Drury Anderson of Mountain Grass Unit to talk about music, community and his role as founder of DLaw Coffee Company, and we pay respects to a legend.

This episode was recorded while HangCon 2026 was setting up all around me — a unique gathering of hammock camping enthusiasts, builders, and brands that turns Florida Sand Music Ranch into a small city of suspended shelters and shared stories. The weather was cold, the sponsors and vendors were rolling in, and the full HangCon recap will be coming your way next week. If you’re curious about that scene, check out hangcon.com.

But today’s episode heads in a different direction.

My guest is Drury Anderson, mandolin picker and lead vocalist of Mountain Grass Unit. If you follow the bluegrass, newgrass, jamgrass, or spacegrass worlds, you already know the band’s reputation — standout performances at Camp Cosmic, WinterWonderGrass, Telluride, DelFest, Blue Ox, and Northlands have quickly made them one of the most talked-about young bands on the circuit.

That said, this conversation isn’t about any of that.

Instead, Episode 67 pulls back the curtain on another side of Drury that’s becoming just as familiar to festival campgrounds: his role as the founder of DLaw Coffee Company. 

Before we get there, the episode takes a moment to honor a giant...

A Farewell to Bob Weir

This week, the music world lost Bob Weir, co-founder, rhythm guitarist, and vocalist of the Grateful Dead. His passing at
age 78 sparked an overwhelming wave of tributes — stories, photos, artwork, and memories shared across generations. Musicians and fans alike reflected on Bobby’s generosity, curiosity, and willingness to listen.

Bob Weir’s influence is inseparable from festival culture. Extended sets, communal experiences, campgrounds that feel like temporary villages — all of it carries his imprint.

His music wasn’t just something you listened to; it was something you lived inside. In the coming weeks, we’ll explore that legacy further in a special conversation with Tom Hamilton of Joe Russo’s Almost Dead.

Harvesting Beans & Community

From there, we shift gears — and caffeine levels.

Drury joins me to talk about how DLaw Coffee Company came to life, shaped by years of touring, early mornings, long drives, and the simple need for good coffee that actually means something. He shares how his travels and musical life influenced the brand, and why storytelling matters just as much as roast profiles in today’s specialty coffee world.

We dig into how coffee culture has evolved from a commodity into an experience — one rooted in craft, ethics, and community. Drury explains how he approaches sourcing beans, dialing in roast profiles, and building a brand that feels authentic in both festival spaces and everyday life.

The conversation also touches on the realities of entrepreneurship: navigating supply chains, costs, and competition while staying aligned with personal values. In a specialty coffee market that continues to grow rapidly, independent roasters like DLaw are carving out space by leaning into transparency, lifestyle connection, and shared experience.

Naturally, the conversation circles back to music. We swap festival memories, talk about caffeine as a touring necessity, and reflect on how live music continues to create community in the same way a good cup of coffee does — by slowing people down and bringing them together.

Next week, we’ll be back with a full recap of HangCon 2026, THE worlds largest Hammock Camping festival down here at the Florida Sand Music Ranch!

Until then, thanks for pulling up a seat around the campfire.

Festival Performance of the Week: Mountain Grass Unit at the Sunshine Hootenanny Music & Arts Festival 2025