Los Angeles Rams fans heading to SoFi Stadium this weekend will get more than the usual preseason atmosphere. Guitarist Nita Strauss is back for her seventh season as the team’s official in-house guitarist, and this year she’s bringing extra firepower: her husband, Josh Villalta, has officially joined as the Rams’ official drummer.
The pair will make their first appearance together in the new roles Saturday, August 22, when the Rams host the New Orleans Saints in a 1 p.m. PT preseason game.
Strauss, a lifelong Rams fan who first performed at games after the team returned to Los Angeles, became the official guitarist when SoFi Stadium opened in 2020. She has been a fixture ever since, delivering high-energy riffs and interludes that have become part of the game-day experience. Her run includes the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI championship, after which the organization presented her with a Super Bowl ring.
Villalta has long been part of the picture behind the scenes as Strauss’s manager and as the drummer in her live band. This season marks the first time he will hold an official on-field role with the Rams, adding live drums to the mix alongside her guitar work.
“To be brought in this year is an incredible honor,” Villalta said. “The Rams organization has been amazing to Nita and I over the years, so having the opportunity to officially join her makes this even more special. I’m excited to bring a new element to the game day experience. I have some cool ideas in mind and I can’t wait for the fans to see and hear what we bring to the stadium this season.”
Strauss echoed the sentiment: “There’s only one thing better than playing your hometown stadium, and that’s doing it with your partner by your side. Josh takes every live performance to another level and I’m so excited for the fans at SoFi to get to experience it. Can’t wait to rock the Rams House together.”
The timing adds another layer. Strauss and Villalta welcomed their first child, son Maxwell James Villalta, in late May. The couple, who married in 2024, now step onto one of the NFL’s biggest stages as both musical partners and new parents.
Strauss has built a career that stretches well beyond football. She has toured as guitarist for Alice Cooper and Demi Lovato, scored a No. 1 rock radio single as a solo artist, earned worldwide magazine covers, and developed signature instruments and gear with Ibanez, D’Addario, Levy’s, and DiMarzio. She has also performed at WWE events. Those credentials, combined with her visible presence at Rams games, have made the guitar-and-now-drums partnership a distinctive part of the SoFi experience.
Rams supporters who want to see the duo in action can catch them this Saturday when the team opens its home preseason schedule against the Saints. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT at SoFi Stadium.
