Published: August 21, 2026 · 3:35 PM EDT
The Los Angeles-born guitarist returns to SoFi Stadium after receiving a Super Bowl LVI championship ring, with her husband and longtime manager joining the Rams game-day performances on drums
Nita Strauss, guitarist for Alice Cooper and the official in-house guitarist of the Los Angeles Rams, is returning to SoFi Stadium for another NFL season - this time with drummer Josh Villalta performing alongside her.
The 2026 campaign marks Strauss’ seventh season in her official Rams in-house role, which began when the team moved into SoFi Stadium in 2020. Strauss had first performed at a Rams game in 2018 before becoming a permanent part of the team’s game-day entertainment.
Villalta - Strauss’ husband, manager and longtime musical collaborator - will officially join the performances on drums beginning this weekend.
“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.”
Strauss’ relationship with the Rams has developed into an unusual crossover between professional sports and rock music.
The Los Angeles-born guitarist became the team’s official in-house guitarist in 2020 and performed throughout the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning 2021 season. She subsequently received a Super Bowl LVI championship ring along with members of the organization.
The Rams continue to list Strauss as part of their official game-day entertainment lineup at SoFi Stadium.
For Strauss, bringing Villalta into that environment makes the new season particularly personal.
“There’s only one thing better than playing your hometown stadium, and that’s doing it with your partner by your side,” Strauss said.
“Josh takes every live performance to another level and I’m so excited for the fans at SoFi to get to experience it.”
Outside SoFi Stadium, Strauss has built a career across rock, metal and mainstream entertainment.
She is best known as a touring guitarist for Alice Cooper and has also performed with Demi Lovato, appeared at multiple WWE events and developed her own solo catalog.
Her solo career includes “Dead Inside” featuring David Draiman of Disturbed, which reached No. 1 at rock radio, while her recordings have accumulated millions of streams.
Strauss has also worked extensively with guitar and music-equipment companies including Ibanez and DiMarzio, becoming the first female artist to receive an Ibanez signature guitar.
That career makes her Rams role more than a celebrity guest appearance: live guitar has become a recurring part of the franchise’s SoFi Stadium presentation.
Villalta’s addition gives the Rams performances a larger live-music component.
Beyond managing Strauss’ career, Villalta is a drummer and performer who has shared stages with her for years.
“I’m excited to bring a new element to the game day experience,” he said. “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.”
The 2026 season also follows another major personal milestone for Strauss and Villalta, who welcomed their son Maxwell in June.
The Strauss-Rams partnership is an example of how live music has become part of the entertainment business surrounding major professional sports.
NFL games are no longer presented solely around what happens between kickoff and the final whistle. Stadium entertainment includes DJs, bands, cheerleaders, video production, branded experiences and live performances designed to keep tens of thousands of spectators engaged throughout game day.
At SoFi Stadium, Strauss has become a recognizable part of that environment.
The Rams also maintain other live musical elements, including Mariachi Rams, which the organization describes as the first mariachi ensemble associated with an NFL team.
For a musician whose normal stages include rock arenas and festivals, the arrangement gives Strauss another recurring audience inside one of American sports’ largest entertainment platforms.
Strauss and Villalta will begin their 2026 Rams performances on Saturday, August 22, when Los Angeles hosts the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium.
The game is Week 2 of the NFL preseason and the Rams’ first home preseason game of 2026.
Los Angeles Rams vs. New Orleans Saints
Saturday, August 22, 2026
SoFi Stadium - Inglewood, California
Kickoff: 1:00 PM PT
The Rams opened their preseason on the road against Kansas City on August 15 and will conclude it against the Los Angeles Chargers on August 27 before beginning regular-season play in September.
Nita Strauss’ relationship with the Los Angeles Rams has now lasted long enough to become its own recognizable part of her career.
She can move from playing guitar with Alice Cooper to performing for an NFL crowd at SoFi Stadium, while the Rams have turned a rock guitarist into a recurring element of the franchise’s entertainment identity.
Adding Josh Villalta on drums expands that concept further in 2026.
And the Super Bowl ring Strauss received after the Rams’ championship season remains perhaps the most unusual piece of memorabilia in her career: not an award for a record or tour, but recognition for being part of an NFL organization that won Super Bowl LVI.
From Alice Cooper stages to the Rams House, Nita Strauss continues to occupy an unusual space between rock music and professional sports.
Her seventh season in the Rams’ in-house role begins August 22 against the New Orleans Saints, and for the first time Josh Villalta will be behind the drums alongside her.
For Strauss, SoFi Stadium is no longer simply another venue.
It has become another home stage.
Written by Gino Alache – Music Journalist
IMAGE CREDIT: Courtesy of Nita Strauss
Watch Nita Strauss perform with the Los Angeles Rams below:
