SAN ANTONIO – Two decades after the deadly shooting that shook San Antonio’s music community, friends and fans of the legendary bar and music venue Taco Land are coming together to honor the lives lost — and the legacy left behind.
This week marks the 20th anniversary of the double murder of Taco Land owner Ram Ayala and doorman Doug Morgan. The two were shot and killed during a robbery at the iconic Grayson Street venue in 2005. A third person, bartender Denise Koger, was critically injured but survived.
Doug Morgan and Ramiro “Ram” Ayala photo courtesy: Claude Morgan (Claude Morgan)
To mark the anniversary, a two-day music festival dubbed the 20th Anniversary Ram Jam is being held this weekend in their memory.
The event will feature more than 20 bands, including six that Ayala considered his favorites.
“This is a celebration for our fallen brothers, Ram Ayala and Doug Morgan,” said Roland Fuentes, a former Taco Land promoter and one of the event’s organizers. “Ram spawned a lot of bands. Some of those band members became record label owners, club owners, even lawyers.”
Taco Land, which began hosting live music in the late 1980s, quickly became a haven for local talent and underground acts. Fuentes described it as a “little underground mecca” that shaped the city’s creative scene for generations.
“It was weird because back then, we knew everybody who was doing something, but we never got to see the end product,” Fuentes said. “Now, 20 years later, we get to see what everybody’s been doing.”
Though the original venue has long since closed, Taco Land’s influence still looms large. For many, the anniversary is not just about remembering a tragic loss but celebrating a movement that brought people together.
“When I find myself driving by, it hits home,” Fuentes said. “I’ll go out there sometimes, just sit under the tree and remember.”
Ram Jam is expected to draw longtime Taco Land fans and new faces alike, united by music—and by the memory of the man who helped build a scene that endures.
The festival will take place Saturday and Sunday at The Corn Pound, 6336 Montgomery Drive in Windcrest. Tickets are still available online.
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