Tragedy at Tacoland
I just had this report forwarded to me by a bandmate. We played Tacoland a couple of months ago with Sons of Hercules and had a great time. It was immortalized by the Dead Milkmen almost 20 years ago and countless local bands have played there over the years.
Ram was a great old guy and didn’t deserve to be gunned down in his own place. Nobody deserves that. I hope they catch the bastards who did this and my sincere condolences go out to Ram’s family and friends. I don’t know what’ll happen to the bar in the aftermath, but I hope they can find a way to keep it open. It won’t be the same without him.
(I snagged the photo from here with credit to Mark Greenberg)
Update: Two people are in custody in connection with the shooting. Score one for the good guys.
Update 2: Another person has died as a result of this shooting.
I first met Ram in 87 or 88 when I was booking Austin bands and we were both still kids… His brashness was always far outweighed by his kindness and ability to love EVERYONE – even if he did call you a pussy!!He has remained a good friend through out the years and I will deeply miss him. As will thousnds around the world who’s lives he touched. My deepest sorrow goes out to his family and friends and I hope we all remember and love him forever.THANK YOU RAM!
And God bless you.
Does anyone out there know how to find the Tacoland movie on the net?
My sister is the one who made the documentary about Tacoland and I think she might have some copies left for sale.
If you’re interested, let me know:
peskypesky@earthlink.net
I am the one who made the documentary on Taco Land. Assuming some legal clearances go ok this week, I plan to sell copies at this weekends upcoming benefit for Taco Land shooting victims (Doug and Denise) which will be held at The Sanctuary in San Antonio – July 3rd.
I will also be collecting contact info. from people who are interested in buying copies. If you are interested, drop me a line.
Laura
p.s. Ram was loved more than anyone I know. I was at both memorials at Taco Land this past weekend, and it’s just too, too evident how much he was loved and IS loved. He was THE MAN.
Goddam sonofabitch! I go out of town because my brother-in-law dies and one of my favorite mentors gets killed. I’m sure I can’t say anything that hasn’t already been said, but I’m proud to have had Tacoland as my alma mater in the late 80’s and 90’s. So much good and bad music. A truly enigmatic place where people of all different backgrounds, ethnicities, and musical tastes generally got along over, looking back on it, a very long time period.
As I continue to get older and fatter, there will always be a place in my heart called Tacoland where women are women and men are pussies. Rest in peace my friend.
-John W. Worsham III
Im Ram’s great niece! He was my grandma’s lil bro! Unfortunetly, the information that was collected for the documentary wasn’t “confirmed” as I read about in the newspaper recently. I haven’t seen your documentary, but I’m assuming from the article that I read that it might be misleading or just not true. That happens when people tell stories. I learned alot about my family this weekend….from “stories”. Everyone has one! Ram was loved by many and will be greatly missed. He was definetly an interesting man. I just learned that the Dead Milkman wrote a song about Tacoland. Which is pretty cool! I hope you can sell alot of copies to help out the survivors. I just want to clearify some information that wasn’t confirmed about his life that you talked about in your documentary. That is that he did serve in the Korean war and he did work as a projectionist….like his father did. He also was a great baseball player. You should have contacted his real family for an accurate documentary! Good luck I hope you can raise alot of money!
I go more than 20 years back in Taco Land history. Had my first date with my husband there. Over the years I gathered with many friends for music and beers and other things I will not admit to, but y’all did it too! Taco Land (Ram) was such an important place in my life I had no problem taking my father and his brother down there a few summers back when they came in from Detroit. Friday night I took my daughters to pay respects and felt just as welcome and in place as I did the first time back in 1983. While the girls only met Ram one time about 3 years ago they took an instant bond to the man, The Padrino! I filled their eyes that night and told them stories that amazed them. Thank you for not changing a thing for one last time. The Legend of Taco Land will be forever….we always knew that!
Hell ram was everything to me and my sis, tacoland was my home. I had my first birthday there. my first fistfight was there,i even took my first girlfriend there to meet ram. ram was always there for me and sarah, he taught me how to play pool when i was 9 i’ve spent my entire life there my mom worked the door for years, i made people mad with my skate board for years. ram even taught how to find a good woman and stay on her good side. he told me one night in july of 04 to stop being a pussy and get it over with and just hit on suzy bravo so thats what i did, i walked up to her and i was blunt i just said what he told me i just asked her if she wanted to go home with me and with a smiloe she just said maybe when your older. then i did the same thing in august of 04 same question all she did was smile and say to her i’m always going to be that kid from tacoland. but ram made me feel god when i took my now ex to tacoland in april in 05 i introduced her to ram cuz she wanted to meet him later that night when the sons of hercules had ended ram pulled me to the side and said i did good finding a girl like. that ram was always there for all of us i was hoping to even have my first show there the night i graduated. tacoland was like a home away from home that you always thought would be there. in a way it still sort of is but it isn’t i’m going to miss him but till i grow up and get a life i’ll be skating out there every week end just for old time sake
Sunshine,
I want you to know that I have nothing but complete love and admiration for Ram. I first went to Taco Land with my brother, Paul, when I was a a young teenager. I am 35 now. I basically grew up with Taco Land being a fixture of my San Antonio existence. The wording in the Express News story is misleading, and I was upset when I read it, frankly. I never doubted Ram’s history, but the way they wrote it was as if I did. They’d asked me in an interview why I did the documentary. I told them it was to document the story of Ram & Taco Land and to show how important Taco Land & Ram were to the music scene in SA and beyond. Ram talks at length in the documentary about being a projectionist. Once you see it, I am sure you’ll see that it was made with love for Ram. And everyone who knows me, knows I loved Ram. I just don’t want you to get the wrong picture from the article. Ram was very proud of the documentary and often asked me to let him sell it at Taco Land. He knew I had nothing but good intentions, and I hope you know that it’s true. I plan to sell the documentary and help with a portiong of the proceeds in the benefit for Doug and Denise. My deepest sympathies to you and your family. We all lost a great man last week. Viva Ram!
Ramiro was my great uncle. I remember when my dad used to bring me to Tacoland when I was a little girl and I would sit on the fridge and chill. Then Ram let me play a show there with my high school band Flush. We were like 16 or 17 years old. It was so much fun. I will always remember that weekend. I also remember being at Tacoland for Ramiro’s birthday in 2000. That’s when I signed up for the band to play later that year in October with the Shit City Dreamgirls. He was an icon to the Texas Music Community and will be greatly missed. R.I.P. Uncle “Ram” Ramiro
I had the honor of jamming with the Ram with our band “SPEED-O-Envy”!!!! Ram was definitely the man. When we first met him he was like “Get in here you f’in pussies!!!!!” wE WERE DEfinitely tripped out by that first impression but man ‘o man it was definitely the most fun to play there. Ram told us “You guys better not suck” . I guess he dug the stuff and we were invited back 4 more times. Such a shame, such a kind person. I agree with the above post about how generous and loving he was. The world is an emptier place without him.
Love, Shawn
Looks like they got those responsible. At least that’s something.
This sucks Ram was a hell of a guy.
I have been going to taco land since 1986.
We will miss you Ram.
I sure hope they find the moterfucker that did it
and give him some Texas Justice
I would love to by a copy of that Tacoland Documentary. I am a huge fan of Ram. It was the only place in SA one could if they were into good music. I love it when I order my Pearl beer and he called me a pussy!
RIP RAM
My name is Rochelle (or as Ram used to say “ra-chelle”)
I used to book punk bands years ago at Tacoland and I am STILL bummed that those bendejos took Ram away from us!!!!
Does anyone have an update on the trail or any info??
Sunshine- MY heart is with you Mana! If you need something, email me–ok??
There is NOT enough words to describe how much I am going to miss Ram! Every time I think of him, I smile (sometimes I even cry).
I have seen ALOT of cool stuff go down at TacoLand when I used to live in SA (and I have seen some weird stuff to-hey, who hasnt right?) Ram ALWAYS had my back even when I worked the door at my gigs, and he was a good friend (I have a ton of really cool stories to share–If you wanna hear a good one-feel free to email me anytime!!)
Rochelle (Roach)
I am living far away now and time has gone by so quickly, but so much of it seems to have taken place at Tacoland. We are all still there pussy. We never left.
trap