The Gem Glows With a Light All Its Own

The life seems to have been sucked out of too many Hollywood clubs lately, with bodies still in motion but present merely because the doors are open, not because they’re beckoning.

Not so at the Gem: People outside are angling to get into the upscale 200-capacity venue because they want to, not because they’ve run out of options.

The last time we checked in with the Melrose Avenue club, it was just 8 months old and hadn’t yet defined its ambitions. Half a year later, it’s become quite the place to be. As the clubland checklist goes, it’s got the bases covered: The Gem is a lovely space, attracting an equal number of handsome men and women who groove to the non-jaded club’s weekly lineup of cool music.

On Mondays, the Gem hosts the China Club, which has brought various members of the Eagles, Crosby, Stills & Nash and the Temptations to its small stage for all-pro jam sessions. Tuesday brings one of the most popular affairs, a sort of Hollywood young celebrity night, with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Drew Barrymore grooving to deejay Richie Rich’s excellent brew of hard-edged hip-hop and danceable funk-disco.

On the more low-key Wednesdays, patrons will find an acid jazz or blues band on stage, but it’s like the calm before the storm, because Thursday’s “Voodoo Lounge” draws a capacity crowd, thanks to Sticky Fingers, a Rolling Stones tribute band that dresses the part as it struts through the adoring audience.

On weekends, deejays Rich, Chris Monaco and Robbie Amar keep the dance floor packed with a wide-ranging variety of pop music’s old and new schools.

Sure, there’s the residual Tatou vibe to consider (owners Lee Maen and Craig Katz ran the Tuesday night “Industry” club at Tatou), but take heart: The himbos have chopped off their ponytails and adopted the dressed-in-black look for a more retro leisure-land approach, and the bottom line here is that people are having a good time. But to see it for yourself, come early. The Gem fills up quickly and unless you’ve already secured a place on the guest list, you’d better know the proprietors if you want to get in after 11 p.m.

* The Gem, 7302 Melrose Ave. 21 and over, usually $5. (213) 932-8344.