“How do you not get cut on these saw blades, dude?” I asked.
“I have been cut on the saw blades,” he said. “It makes me more precise.”
It was around 2012, and I was posted up on the sidewalk outside Soundpony, watching a guy absolutely shred behind one of the most unorthodox drum kits I’d ever seen. The guy was Jascha Tobias—the legendary Tulsa street drummer who turned downtown sidewalks into his stage. Jascha passed away last week, according to a family member.
I kept seeing him around downtown for years after that first encounter. Often he’d be set up outside Cain’s, playing for the crowd that spilled into the street after a show. He was always a burst of positivity—quick to laugh, happy to talk about what he was seeing, and where the people were. He was a great drummer, and he looked completely at home behind his one-of-a-kind kit made from buckets, scrap metal, and old saw blades attached to a rolling base.
He rolled that kit out to perform in heat, cold, rain, snow—whatever Tulsa threw at him. He delivered something unique that made Tulsa a better, more creative place through repetition, precision, and commitment.
He loved Tulsa, and he loved playing for people. He was heard, known, and appreciated by countless people. Downtown won’t sound the same without him. You can hear Jascha tell his own story in this segment below from 2012, made by This Land filmmakers Sterlin Harjo and Matt Leach.
Editor's note: If you'd like to come out in remembrance of Jascha, the Tulsa community will gather on December 23 at The Shrine at 8pm for "Tip The Drummer," a benefit concert honoring his life and legacy.
