Homage to excess

There’s short and then there’s “short.”

You really have to squint to spot the skirts on the go-go dancers at Xes, a saucy new Hollywood nightclub.

With costumes that look like “Wonder Woman-meets-porn star,” the dancers get everyone’s love buzz flowing. And that’s exactly the point. In six weeks, Xes has become something of a phenomenon. The club’s name, which is “sex” spelled backward and is pronounced “excess,” says it all.

With tarty go-go dancers looking like real-life versions of Stripperella and a view of the dancers from just about every angle, Xes is aiming to push your erotic button.

“I really believed Hollywood clubs weren’t on the map,” says Omar Moss, who owns Xes with his brother, Mark. “In New York, clubs have an identity, they’re risque. It’s the same in Miami and Las Vegas. But when you go to Hollywood, everyone’s playing it safe. I wanted to create a place that pushes the limit. And what does ‘excess’ mean? Just a little more than you need.”

Moss, who also owns Dublin’s Irish Pub in West Hollywood and Mammoth, as well as other Sunset Strip ventures, says he even went so far as to hire beefcakes for the ladies.

To be sure, we checked out an Xes bar-back, and I could’ve sworn his pecs were winking at me.

Like the burlesque clubs Deep and Forty Deuce, Xes is banking on Hollywood’s insatiable desire for titillation.

“I bring all my clients in,” says Michael Robleto, a publishing executive and an Xes regular. “It’s great eye candy.”

Located at the former PaPaz, a salsa venue whose claim to fame was hosting the hip-hop club Snatch on Mondays, Xes has improved considerably on the space.

Despite being a good-sized dance club, PaPaz was barely visible from the boulevard. When you consider the competition -- across the street is White Lotus and just up a block is Concorde -- PaPaz was hurt by its anonymity. That changed when the Moss brothers took over three months ago. Now, Xes signage is everywhere -- including at the neighboring Mexican restaurant, Sharkey’s, which is part of Xes’ lease.

In addition, the owners warmed up the space by adding buckets of red to the walls, as well as red curtains and lights.

The club’s high ceiling is draped with sheer fabrics to cozy up things, and they added multiple booths for bottle service patrons.

And the club now offers an outdoor smoking section and an additional DJ area, which is packed with people grooving to ‘80s rock ‘n’ roll.

And you should see the line of Hummers on a weekend. Celebrities have been showing up in droves. Clive Davis popped in on a recent Friday night with Alicia Keys, and Saturdays have brimmed with A-list partygoers. Hosted by Bolthouse Productions, Saturday’s “Fame” bash is the club’s breakout night.

We stopped by on a recent Saturday and hung with the likes of Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera, Vince Vaughn, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Mandy Moore.

With Xes on the sizzling list, you’ve got to call in advance to get in on the weekends, but it also has some poppin’ weeknights.

On Tuesdays, the adult film company Wicked plays host, and Monster Wednesdays is a bold throwback to all things ‘80s. On Thursday nights, the club transforms to Platinum, which bumps Top 40 dance music and hip-hop for a coed crowd.

As for the go-go dancers, they work nightly, flipping it, reversing it and making the poles scattered throughout the club feel the heat.

“I love the poles, and the energy and the vibe of the venue,” says Andrea Frankovich, a real estate agent who keeps coming back for more, well, excess.

And you know how it goes in Hollywood: You can never be too thin or too rich. Xes just added trashy to the list.

Heidi Siegmund Cuda can be reached at weekend@ latimes.com.

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Xes

Where: 1716 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood

When: Tuesdays-Saturdays, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Who: 21 and older

Info: (323) 461-8191