Nicole Brice
Oct 29, 2022
More Than a Petty Betty
Erica Calle possesses a timeless beauty. One which invokes memories and feelings for years gone by. With her big tulle skirts, pageboy hairstyle, and Riot grrrl personality, Erica channels all the old Hollywood glamour into a complete package for 2022’s local music scene.
Known locally as the frontwoman of Petty Betty, a popular novelty band in South Louisiana, Erica is known to bring “it” when belting out tunes such as 'Johnny B. Goode' and 'Zombie' by the Cranberries. With a booming and boisterous voice combined with a larger-than-life persona, Erica truly exemplifies what it means to be a star. Surrounded by some of the most talented musicians on the scene, Erica credits the men behind her as the ones to inspire and push her to the limits vocally.
The band, Petty Betty, is comprised of Tony Busby (guitar), T-Mike Galliano (bass & vocals), and Chris Lyons (drums), as well as the gorgeous Erica Calle (lead vocals).
Petty Betty is a music group native to Baton Rouge with over 50+ combined years of experience in music & entertainment. With upbeat lyrics and catchy music, they bring the party when they perform.
Erica started singing when she was very young, but says, “Starting out, I wasn’t any good and I sounded like a drowning cat.”
Well, folks, those days of sounding like a drowning feline are sure over because this leading lady has some of the best pipes in and around Baton Rouge, AND she even auditioned to be on the national TV show The Voice at 22 years of age. At the audition, she made it through the first round of the pre-auditions and ended up getting a nasty cold but managed to push through, which afterwards damaged her vocal cords. She was unable to sing for a while after that, but by doing karaoke, she was able to retrain her voice to do what she wanted. Once the pieces fell into place, Petty Betty was formed.
Inspired by Blues and Swing music, Erica credits her look and vocal stylings to the music that she adored as a child, such as Cab Calloway, Buddy Guy, Etta James, and Ella Fitzgerald, and she has said, “I was born at the wrong time.”
When we asked Erica who she is digging these days musically she replied with, “Kaleo! I just LOVE their music!”
When asked about her personal style, Erica said, “Thankfully the group of guys that I work with each bring their own unique style and ideas that makes for an amazing blend. Personally, I love Rockabilly but sometimes will add a Stevie Nicks look to my wardrobe so I can change it up a bit.”
“Bettie Page definitely influences my stage look, but I try to look towards the strong female lead singers such as Jinjer, The Pretty Reckless, Bishop Briggs, and Halestorm as far as their energy/persona. I like to blend vintage and current rock vibes for my look.”
Petty Betty has quite a following, and you can rest assured that if they are playing a show, it will be packed. The energy from every member of the band radiates throughout all performances with none being stale or boring. Their on-stage energy is so infectious that you’ll end up wanting to be on stage just to experience the party with them.
When asked if Petty Betty has plans to record any original material in the future, Erica has said, “We would love to pursue some originals! I wake up in the middle of the night to write down lyrics that just pop into my head, and we’ve played around with a few song ideas, BUT we would really need to slow down to focus on it properly.”
Catch Petty Betty LIVE in and around Baton Rouge and be sure to visit their social media accounts to show some love.
October 30 - 52nd Annual Parish Fall Fest in Denham Springs 2-4pm
November 4 - TrickShots Sports Bar in Denham Springs 9pm
November 5 - Boudreaux & Thibodeaux's in Baton Rouge 10pm
November 12 - Mike Bruno's Harley Davidson in Baton Rouge 1-4pm
November 12 - Big Mike's Sports Bar & Grill in Denham Springs 9pm
Petty Betty fan club | Facebook
Petty Betty (@pettybettylive) • Instagram photos and videos
*All photos by Gary Governale*
Questions or comments? Reach out to mixedalternativemag@gmail.com.