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Over a span of 25 years, an unassuming beer joint in San Antontio became a fabled house of unground musical magic. National acts like Yo La Tengo and the Minutemen played there. The Dead Milkmen wrote a song about it. And almost every other night, it nurtured a thriving punk and underground music scene. And at the heart of Taco Land was an iconic man named Ramiro Ayala. He ran Taco Land for 40 years, until he was murdered during a robbery in the Summer of 2005. The memories of customers, music from San Antonio bands and arcival tape take us there.
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Piece Description
Over a span of 25 years, an unassuming beer joint in San Antontio became a fabled house of unground musical magic. National acts like Yo La Tengo and the Minutemen played there. The Dead Milkmen wrote a song about it. And almost every other night, it nurtured a thriving punk and underground music scene. And at the heart of Taco Land was an iconic man named Ramiro Ayala. He ran Taco Land for 40 years, until he was murdered during a robbery in the Summer of 2005. The memories of customers, music from San Antonio bands and arcival tape take us there.
Broadcast History
Originally aired on NPR's Weekend Edition, September 18, 2009.
Transcript
NARR: IF YOU FOLLOW THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER NORTH, AWAY FROM DOWNTOWN, PAST THE ALAMO, INTO AN INDUSTRIAL AREA THAT HOUSED THE OLD, PEARL BREWERY. YOU’LL COME TO A CINDERBLOCK BUILDING WITH AN ANCIENT LIVE OAK. THE BUILDING IS VACANT NOW, BUT THIS WAS ONCE THE LOUDLY BEATING HEART OF SAN ANTONIO’S UNDERGROUND MUSIC SCENE. THIS WAS TACO LAND. (25 SEC)
Music: Dead Milkmen’s “Taco Land” kicks off … then runs under
“There's a place, In San Antone, Where I can go, And not feel alone!
Tacoland, It's a panacea, Tacoland, They're always glad to see ya
You'll understand, When you go on down to Tacoland” (22 sec)
NARR: LONG BEFORE THE DEAD MILKMEN WROTE THIS SONG ABOUT IT, TACO LAND WAS JUST AN AFTERWORK BEER JOINT. SHIFT WORKERS FROM THE PEARL BREWERY AND FOLKS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD WERE SHOOTING POOL AND DRINKING CHEAP, COLD BEER. (12 sec)
Music: Song Ends
BUT AROUND 1980, A YOUNG COWPUN...
Read the full transcript
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taco Land | Dead Milkmen | Bucky Fellini. | Enigma | 1987 | 00:00 |
| BBQ Queen | The Hickoids | Waltz a Crossdress Texas. | Saustex Media | 1999 | 00:00 |
| Figs n' Fountains | Snowbyrd | Snowbyrd. | Saustex Media | 2006 | 00:00 |
| Down in S.A. | Lost #3 Dinners | Can't Stop ... Gotta Rock. | Saustex Media | 2003 | 00:00 |
| Only When I Dream | Mitch Webb & The Swindles | Last Band At Tacoland. | Supreme Music Co. | 2008 | 00:00 |
| Ain't That Lovin' You Baby | Mitch Webb & The Swindles | Last Band At Tacoland. | Supreme Music Co. | 2008 | 00:00 |
| It's In The Way | Buttercup | The Weather Here. | Bedlamb Records | 2009 | 00:00 |
Additional Credits
Edited by Deborah George. Production assistance from Sarah Jessee and Selena Simmons-Duffin.
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