Perry Julien celebrates 34 years of music-related photography

• Perry Julien
• “The devil’s in his hole.” Led Zeppelin in 1977

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On June 1, 1977 a dorky, 17-year-old kid wandered into Madison Square Garden to see his first Led Zeppelin show, and he took his camera. Of course there was no photography allowed, but he slipped the security guy a few bucks, and he looked the other way.

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Just as Jimmy Page tore into those first fiery licks of “Achilles Last Stand,” and Robert Plant wailed the words “Sending off a glancing kiss, to those who claim they know / Below the streets that steam and hiss, the devil’s in his hole,” he snapped the picture you see here. Although he had no way of knowing it at the time, it was the beginning of a life-long passion, and the first in a conceptual series of photos that would culminate 34 years later in Atlanta.

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Now a regular music photographer for Creative Loafing, Spin, Paste, Stomp & Stammer, Perry Julien’s photography exhibit It Doesn’t Need Sound features a spread of music and music-inspired photographs covering everything from the first, fateful encounter with Led Zeppelin to more recent work featuring musicians including the Flaming Lips, Deerhunter, the White Stripes and Black Lips to Lady Gaga and Brittney Spears. Julien’s fine art photography - shot at locations around the country, including the Chelsea Hotel and in the rural Iowa countryside - is also part of the exhibit.

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The opening reception happens tonight (Friday, October 7) at Aurora Coffee in Little Five Points from 7-10 p.m. Cute Boots are performing from 8:30-9:15 as well.