All photos by Morgen SchulerFor fans of Joy Division, the experience of

All photos by Morgen Schuler

For fans of Joy Division, the experience of seeing New Order live is the next best thing to seeing that doomed post-punk group up close and personal, a feeling that was palpable last night at the Paramount. The band performed with an energy that nodded to its past, a sense that was never more obvious than when it played “Atmosphere,” a Joy Division cover, during the encore. The video screen behind the group displayed an odd “monk ritual” showing robe-clad men walking through the desert, on occasion carying large boards on which Ian Curtis appeared. It was a reminder that New Order came out of the ashes of Joy Division, and the group isn’t pushing aside those memories.

Make sure you check out the rest of the slideshow for all the New Order and opener Run Run Run’s shots.

It was the biggest crowd the Paramount has seen in quite a while. Even though the show was sold out, it never felt crowded (whether that’s because of no-shows or if people would rather hang at the bar than watch the show), and many were out on the floor. Despite the packed house, there seemed to be just enough room between clusters of fans to dance the night away, and dance so many did. It took a little time for the normally subdued Seattle crowd to start moving, but by the time “True Faith” floated across the room, most had their arms up, inhibitions to the wind. If you were there and didn’t leave the Paramount last night sweating, tired, and with a smile plastered on your face, you did it wrong.