Photos: Jesse Waits celebrates 36th birthday at XS with all-star crowd

Danny Mahoney/XS

Jesse Waits celebrates his 36th birthday at XS in the Encore on Oct. 3, 2011. Chuck Liddell and Waits are pictured here.

By Don Chareunsy (contact)

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011 | 2:22 p.m.

Jesse Waits' 36th Birthday at XS

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Danny Mahoney/XS

Jesse Waits celebrates his 36th birthday at XS in the Encore on Oct. 3, 2011.

Danny Mahoney/XS

Jesse Waits celebrates his 36th birthday at XS in the Encore on Oct. 3, 2011. Tal Cooperman and Pete Wentz are pictured here.

Jesse Waits, co-owner and managing partner of XS in the Encore, celebrated his 36th birthday at the hotspot last night, and celebrities and VIPs were in abundance to toast the birthday boy at the party featuring a surprise set by the celebrated and young Swedish DJ Avicii.

Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy fame, and now split from Ashlee Simpson, was onstage with his brother and friends, including Tal Cooperman, a business partner with Good Charlotte’s Joel and Benji Madden. Also celebrating, Peepshow at Planet Hollywood and Holly’s World stars Holly Madison, Josh Strickland and Angel Porrino (Porrino also stars in Absinthe at Caesars Palace), along with pal Frank Delgado of The Hills fame.

Shaun Phillips of the San Diego Chargers, former Chargers teammate Shawne Merriman of the Buffalo Bills and UFC legend Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell represented the sports world at the celebration. Avicii spinned late into the evening and early morning in front of a set that included confetti cannons and a large LED screen flashing photos and birthday wishes to Waits throughout the night. Resident DJs Manufactured Superstars (Shawn Sabo and Brad Roulier) and DJ Spider also were onstage to keep the party going.

Waits, in a white hoodie and black slacks, entered XS via the grand staircase flanked by cocktail servers in special uniforms in honor of him. He was presented with a three-tier cake, the top level featuring his signature look -- a black on white suit -- and the second and third tiers representing his hard work ethic with a Blackberry and iPhone.

XS’ executive team, including Ronn Nicolli (director of strategic marketing), Yannick Mugnier (general manager), Brian Affronti (general manager) and Zee Zandi (director of nightlife entertainment), presented the cake on behalf of the staff before Waits blew the candles out onstage after a chorus of “Happy Birthday.”

Also in attendance: Pasquale Rotella (founder of Insomniac and Electric Daisy Carnival), Mustafa “Moose” Abdi (Haze Nightclub at Aria), Jason “JRoc” Craig (SBE Entertainment), Randy Davila (Angel Management Group), Wayne Crane (Surrender Nightclub at the Encore) and Lance Sherman (Chateau Nightclub & Garden at Paris).

It’s been a big year for Waits and his XS and Tryst in the Wynn teams, as he led them to achieving Nightclub & Bar’s Nightclub of the Year (Tryst) and earning the No. 1 spot on Nightclub & Bar’s Top 100 list (XS) for the second consecutive year in a row. Happiest birthday wishes to Waits!

Don Chareunsy is editor of VegasDeLuxe.com and arts and entertainment editor of LasVegasSun.com.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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