Tacoland Owner - Ram Ayala - R.I.P.
Ram Ayala, the owner of Tacoland in San Antonio Texas was shot an killed in a robbery at the bar on Thursday, June 23rd. Many Milkmen fans wrote to tell us of the news which was covered extensively online, in the local papers and Texas music scene. Here’s some video coverage of the story and memorial at the bar.
Tacoland was the site of one of our favorite shows ever—inspiring the song of the same name we recorded for Bucky Fellini. We’re truly sad to hear this news and send our condolences to his family and the music scene of San Antonio.
Update:
I wanted to give photographer Mark Greenberg credit for the photo of Ram used above. Hope he doesn’t mind. Also the San Antonio Current has reposted some old stories about Tacoland. (thanks to Dave W for the tip)
June 27th, 2005 at 12:31 pm
Wow. That’s a real shame. I never met the guy or been to Tacoland. I remember reading on the Low Budget website that they were scheduled to do a show (so they thought), but Tacoland had no record of it. Ram remembered Joe and the song “Tacoland,” so he let them play. Sounded like a cool guy. RIP.
June 27th, 2005 at 1:47 pm
Man, the nights spent at Tacoland, the afterparties, and ending up eating oysters and watching strippers at 10 a.m. on a Saturday just outside 410 @ I-10. I’m really gonna miss that place. I didn’t know Ram very well- our relationship was limited to a general exchange of “Whatchew want?” “Coors Light please.” Sure feels like a piece of my misspent youth and misspent adulthood died with him.
June 27th, 2005 at 8:54 pm
San Antonio has suffered a huge blow at the loss of Ram and Taco Land. There is a void, one that can never be filled. Ram was the spiritual father of several generations of local musicians, and we will always, always miss him and think of him everytime we raise a beer… he taught us how not to be pussies, and now we must somehow learn to go one without our Papi… R.I.P. Ram!!!
June 27th, 2005 at 8:59 pm
p.s…. reading your unearthed diaries… “Cathy” is the bass player from our band “Pulsating Love Flower.” We played our “reunion” show exactly 2 years ago at Taco Land, and she was much loved by Ram. Jamie is still here in San Antonio and we shared a tear on Friday at an impromptu Taco Land memorial gathering along with several hundred other bikers, punks, greasers, homeless people and aging hipsters!
June 28th, 2005 at 9:44 am
i knew him as well as anyone else who drank beers and narrowly escaped his wrath at a hundred drunken nights. im pretty sure he meant pussy as a positive nickname, and if theres any silver in this lining, he sure didnt go out like one. ill miss you and that place for the rest of my life, ram. theres just too much to say right now. much love, brother, adios.
June 28th, 2005 at 4:08 pm
One time in the late ’80s my friend and me were at taco Land and Ram told us it was his birthday party that weekend on sunday.. we stopped by there and gave him a half bottle of whiskey… he was a crusty and lovable guy who obviously meant a lot to many many people in san Antonio and far beyond… R I P Ram
June 29th, 2005 at 12:03 am
ive been trying to explain tacoland to my friends who have never been there - i lived in san antonio for 8 years, and words fail me. my descriptions sound trite compared to the memories. finally i just said “tacoland was the greatest place in the world”. im pretty sure im right or anyone who hasbeen there can vouch. it was the greatest place in the world, and ram was a wonderful and special man, and enough tears will be spilled for him to fill his hooch bottle a thousand times. thanks ram, for giving us, (i hate to repeat, but its entirely true), a little time in the greatest place in the world. love you.
June 29th, 2005 at 4:08 pm
I loved Chris Item’s post on Metafilter regarding Tacoland. Quoted here (hope he doesn’t mind):
“…the place is a total dive. Shitty sound? Yes. Tiny stage? You betcha. Chance an honest-to-goodness barroom brawl will break out whilst yr band’s playing? 50/50. I have no idea what the current venue scene is like in SA, but I could only imagine that there’s always been better places to play.
All being said, though, if you had ended up playing at Tacoland you would’ve had the unique opportunity to tell yr friends, “We played a biker bar in San Antonio, nine people showed up, we got paid $17, and we feared for our lives until we reached the city limits on the way outta town. It was brilliant.”
It really was “brilliant”…
June 29th, 2005 at 8:30 pm
I hope they nail the bastards to the tree on the patio. Ram was one of the few compadres to the music scene. He will always be a part of my life in the stories I share with my new friends. The GOOD OLE DAZE!
CHATTA,
Rayna
June 30th, 2005 at 10:41 pm
I am 40 years old, and I played one and only one show with a band whos name I can’t even remember at Tacoland–I lived a few blocks from Tacoland in the early eighties, and spent MANY nights in there—it was often a first resort “wanna go to Tacoland” or it was a last resort, “screw this, let’s go to Tacoland” —we would sit for hours on the patio out front and gaze into the “beautiful San Antonio river” which next to Tacoland was a mosquito and shoping cart infested swamy 12 feet across and maybe 10 inches deep on a good night. Ram respcted us, we respected him. I havent thought of that place in many years as I moved away 15 years ago or so, but acter seeing the article in the Ausin Chronicle today I called a few friends across the country. some had heard, some hadn’t. All in one way or another were shocked at the news. What a great guy “never called you a pussy unless he liked you”–SA and Texas are going to miss Ram Ayala, because I sure do.
July 1st, 2005 at 12:17 am
The Sancturay is holding a benefit Sunday, July 3 for Doug & Sunshine who were shot along side of Ram. It is 8 hours of the music that came out of Tacoland on two stages. An all day and all night hourly viewing of Tacoland Documentry is also slated.
Bands include
Flamin’ Hellcats, The Martyrs, The Bent Gents, Rice & Beans, Shit City Dreamgirls, Hammered Feat. Suzy Bravo Patt Todd of the the Lazy Cowgirls, Vatos Locos, Los Mescaleros, The Hickoids, The Tombstones, Snowbird, Yoshimoto, Total 13 and many, many more!!! $1.50 Domestic Beers!
“DON’T BE A PUSSY” GET YOUR LAZY ASS OUT THERE!!!
SANCTURAY
1818 N. MAIN
http://www.liveatthesancturary.com
TXsunDWN
July 1st, 2005 at 8:08 am
I still haven’t figured out how fully put this void into words. In my 20+ years as a Taco Land-ian, the memories, music, meetings, Ram-isms, and GREAT TIMES are absolutely mountainess! All of this has occupied a huge place in my heart along the way, and even more-so now, because I know there won’t be any new ones to experience…. This tragedy was just so sad and senseless and COWARDLY….
One gig that I unfortunately did not make was the Dead Milkmen’s, though I do still have the original flyers as a cherished part of the archive (Can anyone say “Billy Zygote & The Love Bubbles”?). Back when there was only a 45 jukebox, somebody made Ram a cassette of the Taco Land song (spliced with no blank space & repeating on the b-side), and once in a while he’d turn down the jukebox volume and play that tape on an old jam-box he kept behind the bar! I don’t recall ever seeing him play anything else on that thing…. When the song was over he’d holler out “YEAH, DADDY!”, then go turn the jukebox up again!
He’d ask people once in a while “Hey, you know those guys made a song about my bar?”. I once told “If I knew how to play music, EVERY song I wrote woud be about you, Daddy”…. Ram’s response? “Stop it, You’re killing me”!!
I miss you, Ram. I’ll try not to “scratch the 8-ball”.
July 1st, 2005 at 8:26 am
Jerry - I’d love to post a picture of the show flyer. If you can email me a scan?
July 4th, 2005 at 2:53 pm
MAN OH MAN! I really miss the old guy a REAL gentlmen every inch…
July 7th, 2005 at 5:58 pm
They got the assholes.
http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=529A8B25-CC21-4543-A9C8-59B82192DFBB
July 22nd, 2005 at 5:52 pm
They took everyones father away, but the memories will live forever with the fans, patrons and supporters of Taco Land.
As the man used to say “Somebody!”.
Eddie
July 28th, 2005 at 7:18 pm
Hey somebody anybody I don’t know how many of you remember me I worked for RAM for a long time I was looking up the number just today to call him because I was talking to my son about all the good things ram done for everybody-and somebody .So I decided to call and I see this mess I hope they hang the bastards.
Ram was my best friend in the world, and friend to everyone and all the charties he gave to and all the kids he helped. I remember all the crazy nights at TACOLAND
Ram and I had , and some of the crazy things that happened. I loved him so much.
as did everyone else. I remember all the bands and the beer(PEARL LIGHT,) And the many nights we would spend after closing JUST TALKING about any thing and every thing. Ram always called me mrs Sippi because of sippi we both worked for him I could not a met a GREATER MAN in my life There is just to much to say about this man. RAM MAY GOD BE WITH YOU SOMEBODY THANKS FOR EVERY THING.
I LOVE YOU MAN YOUR THE GREATEST. I HOPE THE PARTY IS STILL GOING ON WHERE EVER YOU ARE YOU WILL BE FOREVER MISSED. I’M SORRY I WASN’T THERE FOR YOU LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS. I LIVE IN MEMPHIS NOW BUT I’LL BE THERE.
]REST IN PEACE AND LOVE. GOOD BYE FOR NOW SOMEBODY. I LOVE YOU.
BOBBI MRS SIPPI
July 30th, 2005 at 7:40 am
HEY SOMEBODY;
To my friend who will always be
Hey somebody, look at me.
You never missed a thing of
what’s going on.
You were there ,
But now your gone.
You didn’t care
who came or went
With your real friends
is the time you spent.
Now your in heaven
riding a cloud,
drinking a beer
watching the crowd.
Your probably laughing at us
with your little grin,
Go home pussies
I’ll be back again.
I really believe that
because I know it’s true
Your with everyone
like god is with you.
You are loved all
and don’t forget
we are waiting for you
to open again.
WE ALL MISS AND LOVE YOU .
YOUR ARE GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN.
LOVE YOU FOREVER
August 4th, 2005 at 11:46 pm
I MET RAM IN THE EARLY 70′S WHEN HE WAS A PROJECTIONIST AT THE OLD AZTEC THEATER. HE HAD OWNED TACO LAND FOR ABOUT 6 OR 7 YRS & WAS AN INSTANT FRIEND. HE LOVED TO PLAY BASEBALL WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER (HE ATTENDED HOWARD PAYNE UNIV. ON A BASEBALL SCHOLARSHIP). RAM SERVED OUR COUNTRY OVERSEAS IN KOREA (TOLD ME MORE THAN ONCE HOW HE FROZE HAS ASS OFF & THAT I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT COLD WAS). AT THAT TIME TACO LAND (YES IT REALLY WAS A RESTURANT) ATTRACTED THE WORKERS FROM BORDENS-PEARL-7UP & RC @ LUNCH (BEST CARNE GUISADA EVER ,HE WAS ONE HELL OF A COOK ). AS THE AREA DIED TACO LAND SLOWLY EVOLVED. AS THEY SAY “THE REST IS HISTORY”. MY FREIND YOU WILL ALWAYS BE IN MY HEART. FOREVER MATT
August 10th, 2005 at 3:53 pm
Viva Ram!
i’m going to miss that gruff but lovable old guy…
Don’t be a pussy!
August 16th, 2005 at 4:27 am
it won’t have be in vain - i had choices
xoxoxoxo
sunshine
August 16th, 2005 at 8:22 pm
hang in there sunshine.
you are one tough lady.
love you.
-anjali
September 21st, 2005 at 4:23 pm
First time i went into Tacoland was summer of 83 The Fearless Iranians from Hell palyed with Raging Woodies and the Mystery Dates. Ram was a lifelong friend and i was proud to know him. I saw the dead Milkmen perform there numerous times. I was at Tacoland a few weeks before Rams death and i feel so cheated. Had i Known it would be the last time i was going to see and talk with him i would have thrown my arms around him and said goodbye. Was I a Pussy? you damn right i was. Drink out of the mystery “botella” forever RAM RIP
October 21st, 2005 at 8:04 pm
I truly appreciate seeing this on your site today. Ram was like family to me and I will never forget what he did for me and everyone he met.
January 11th, 2006 at 4:15 am
Still not over it. Still go by there every once in a while and drink a beer or so and burn a few outside. The other night was checking out the city with another Tacoland friend. Noticed there wasn’t anyplace to go. Said it would of been a great night for partying with the Ram. No more. Sad. So very sad.
Still see a bunch of my Tacoland friends. Even ran into Worm the other day. Keep in touch Tacoland folks. Ram and Tacoland still lives inside us. Don’t fuck up.
And Ram is still there. He’s in the tree now.
March 26th, 2006 at 7:07 am
Ram was a pillar of the community. I got word of this tragedy from halfway across the country. I played many shows at T.L. in the late eighties and saw some legendary ones. I think we all had the feeling we were fortunate to have the place, whether or not we had to set our gear up around a post that supported the ceiling. I like how Jeff Smith (from the Hickoids) shows up in the news story about catching the perpetrators.
May 8th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
ram was an interesting fellow. i lived in sa for about a year and didnt know very many people. i met this chick kim who worked at a liqure store and also worked the door at taco land. i always felt welcome there. it was the best spot in sa as far as im concerend. i alway stopped by to visit everytime i go back to sa to pick up or drop off my daughter and ram would always be there waiting with cheap 16 once lone star beers for me to enjoy. i will never forget the experiences i had at the little dive on grayson. i wear both my taco land tee-shirts often. every now and then someone here in charleston sc will recognize ram on the shirt and that in a great thing in it self. i remember one time at heavy metal kareoke at cumberlands down town i just got off stage and a group of people in the crowd pulled me aside because of my shirt. they were a rockabilly band from tx whos name i forget and we talked about taco land for about an hour. ram will be missed by more people than anyone can possibly immagine. ill never forget him.
May 29th, 2006 at 8:05 am
you may be gone but not from my heart, love ya , you will never be forgotten.
i will be back someday and sit in the tree with ya. bye somebody
August 20th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
I’m so sorry to hear this. It was a favorite place for me, and growing up in San Antonio Taco Land has been my way to feel at home again when I visit. I was never called a pussy by Ram so we weren’t very close, but I shared in the laughs with everyone. He surely left a memory for me and I’ll raise my glass to his life anytime.
September 15th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Hey somebody did they ever hang the bastards that did this to my friend or did they make it to trial.
May 5th, 2008 at 2:10 am
RAM…….. was THE man.
he is a saint now( as Vespasian said on his deathbed ” oh dear… I can feel myself becoming a god now.” ) he has been diefied in SA. but who was the man ?? well…. if you proved yourself to him. he was your friend. crusty. vulgar ( in speech) and LOYAL.
He gave my band our first show. our second…….. third…
he gave you space to NOT SUCK.every band sucks. thier first show….. from the stones on. he gave you space to get your shit together.
and when he said he liked you he meant it.
PUSSY was a term of endearment.
he always had sketchy people around picking up bottles…….later you realized they were homeless and he was trying to help.
miss him lots.
miss the awful sound ( you could work with it, but it was worK)
miss the MAN. there will not be another
” jefferson
/ ” el jefe’