This 2-day music festival features bands who played at the legendary bar on West Grayson in it’s heyday.
SAN ANTONIO — Did you used to hang out down on Grayson at Taco Land?
Remember the good times and the gritty sounds of the bar that once was at the 20th Anniversary Ram Jam on June 28 and June 29.
The lineups have been confirmed for both days. More than 30 bands that used to play the famed, or rather infamous, venue will take the stage honoring the legacy of Taco Land owner Ram Ayala and doorman Doug “Gypsy” Morgan, who were both gunned down on June 23, 2005.
Taco Land was once a sanctuary for all the bands in San Antonio that didn’t fit in anywhere else and owner Ramiro “Ram” Ayala was their patron saint. Ram treated everybody exactly the same, which sometimes meant yelling and kicking you out if you didn’t follow his golden rule of not being mean to anybody. Good times were his specialty.
And half the charm of Taco Land was seeing and hearing Ram. He had a way with words and many oft-repeated quotes originated with him. Like when bands were playing, he’d yell, “One more time for the March of Dimes!”
This year’s Ram Jam will be held at the Corn Pound, a venue owned and operated by Jeff Smith. Smith is the only surviving member of the Hickoids, a band that frequently played at the storied bar back in the 1980s until it closed after Ram’s death.
The Corn Pound is located at 6336 Montgomery Drive in the Windcrest are. It is home to Jett Bass Studio (multi-track recording studio), Tex Pop in Exile (a nonprofit preserving San Antonio music history), an art gallery called the Fourth Wall Broken, the High Voltage Music Program, Wacky Souvenir Lathe Cuts, Flagship Records (an indie punk vinyl shop specializing in music from the 70s, 80s and 90s) and Smith’s Saustex Records.
“Now in its 20th year, Ram Jam stands as a living tribute to the dive bars, misfit heroes, and musical outlaws that gave this city its punk-rock backbone,” said Roland “Nightrocker” Fuentes, event organizer. “From long-awaited reunion sets to rising underground voices, this year’s edition is the biggest and boldest yet.”
Ram Jam 2025 will also feature memorabilia installations, ceremonial ofrendas, and enough beer and barbecue to fuel a small army.
“This isn’t just a festival—it’s a family reunion, a memorial, and a middle finger in the face of silence,” says Fuentes. “Ram Jam is about keeping the chaos alive—loud, raw, and unapologetically underground.”
The gates open at 11 a.m. on both days, and the music won’t stop until around 10 p.m. Information in tickets, as well as any updates can be found at: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/nightrocker-presents/ram-jam-20.
Make the scene and rediscover the fiery underground that made San Antonio famous for noise, grit, and soul.
DAY 1 – SATURDAY, JUNE 28 🎸
Stage 1 & 2 Performances:
- 1:40 PM – Spock
- 2:05 PM – True Stories
- 2:30 PM – Barrio Blasters
- 2:55 PM – Tubular Face
- 3:20 PM – Sad Plant
- 3:45 PM – The Calbakes aka The Walk Offs
- 4:10 PM – Loaded
- 5:00 PM – Lucy Loves Schroeder (Reunion)
- 5:50 PM – WORLD BIZARRE (Reunion)
- 6:40 PM – Chapstik (TX Edition Reunion)
- 7:30 PM – Flamin’ Hellcats
- 8:20 PM – Boxcar Satan (Reunion)
- 9:10 PM – The Hickoids
Stage 3 – “Memorial Garden” (7:00–8:36 PM):
A sunset tribute to Paul Love, featuring spoken word, archived recordings, and music from Scotty Karate, Country Giants, and more.
DAY 2 – SUNDAY, JUNE 29 🎤
Stage 1 & 2 Performances:
- 1:15 PM – Valley of the Kings
- 1:40 PM – Los Crawdaddies
- 2:05 PM – Rhythm Kings
- 2:30 PM – Spirit of a Slain Eagle (Brooklyn, NY)
- 2:55 PM – Jason Trevino
- 3:20 PM – MORE
- 3:45 PM – The Despicable
- 4:35 PM – Black♠️List VIPs
- 5:25 PM – Michael Martin and The Infidels
- 6:15 PM – Snowbyrd
- 7:05 PM – Buttercup
- 7:55 PM – The Swindles
- 8:45 PM – Sextol Sol
