Two Decades Strong: Ram Jam Keeps the Taco Land Spirit Alive

It’s been 20 years since that tragic night at Taco Land. Ram Ayala, along with doorman Doug Morgan, were slain during a robbery gone bad. Little did the gunman know that, along with Ram's death, an entire music community would be deeply impacted.

Taco Land was more than just a bar—it was a cultural epicenter for punks, freaks, misfits, and artists who cut their teeth there before moving on to bigger stages. Many of the city’s local legends ripped on that humble stage: Sons of Hercules, White Heat, The Dead Milkmen, Los #3 Dinners, to name a few. Nationally known acts such as The Jesus Lizard, L7, GWAR, At The Drive-In, Yo La Tengo, and Butthole Surfers also graced its floors—just a few among the long list of patrons who made Taco Land iconic.

Local promoter Roland “The Nightrocker” Fuentes, and Jeff Smith of the Hickoids organized this year’s Ram Jam, an annual tribute to honor Ram. The two day festival was held this weekend at the Corn Pound, a multi-business complex featuring both an outdoor stage and a newly renovated indoor stage, where more than 20 bands performed. Many of them were Ram’s favorites and regulars at Taco Land during its heyday.

Upon entering the compound, I immediately felt an overwhelming sense of community. Despite the lack of familiar faces—aside from the musicians on stage—it felt like a family reunion preserved in time. It was a scene frozen 20 or 30 years in the past. Only the effects of time on the human body gave away how long it had truly been.

The first night of the fest featured bands such as Tubular Face, The Please Help, The Flamin’ Hellcats, Boxcar Satan, and the Hickoids. The second night followed with Snowbyrd, Buttercup, The Swindles, Sexto Sol, and others. Each band paid tribute to Ram, with references to Taco Land’s past hidden like Easter eggs for those willing to look: old flyers from past shows plastered the walls, including one for The Mechanical Walking Robotboy, an earlier project of Buttercup’s Erik Sanden’s. Erik himself wore a Dog Shit Rangers shirt, another Taco Land staple.

A third stage was dedicated entirely to Ram. Candles lit a garden path, leading to a fence lined with papers listing the many notable bands who had once stepped onto Taco Land’s hallowed grounds. Bart Nichols, bassist for Los #2 and Los #3 Dinners, joined Mitch Webb and the Swindles. Fred Himes, frontman of Los Mescaleros, also performed—forming a kind of supergroup made up of some of the heaviest hitters from that era. Latin soul rock 'n' roll band Sexto Sol, led by Sam Villela, closed the fest with a powerful final set.

You might not make any money, but you’ll have a good time.
 You can’t buy a good time.
 And a good time is here.

-Ram Ayala

In the two decades since the tragic evening, Taco Land and Ram Ayala have become symbols of a scene built on generosity, chaos, and community. Ram’s altruism and support for both local and national musicians helped cultivate a space that eventually became like family to so many.

Bell Solloa, who once booked shows at Taco Land, said it best:
“Ram did not intend to make a scene—the scene made Ram,” she reflected. “And Ram, in turn, nurtured the scene, despite the chaos that sometimes happened... very much the Godfather at the end of it all.”

She added, “It was everyone’s second home. It was everyone’s comfort zone.”

Photos by Oscar Moreno