Achange of scenery is always good, especially when that scenery involves rotating art exhibitions such as the one at the hip new eatery The Urbanite Bistro at 62 NE 14th St., where the concept of ``location, location, location'' takes on different meanings. We mean that in the best of ways. Located in the dodgy 'hood across the street from The Vagabond, The Urbanite not only features two bars and, based on our initial visit a few weeks ago, a cool, bluesy soundtrack, but also 25 domestic and European craft beers, more than 30 wines by the glass and creative cocktails. The food is fab, too. We loved the shrimp corn dogs and the Moroccan lamb sliders. Check it out Tuesday when the restaurant hosts a reception for the provocative artwork by artists Gabriela Sanchez-Vegas and Rudolf Kohn. Their Concrete Tears and City of Love, respectively, will show all month. Reception is 7-9 p.m. and comes complete with an Urbanite VIP card, which entitles each guest to a complimentary specialty cocktail.

And while everyone loves a free specialty cocktail, these days the de rigueur alcoholic beverage is a craft, artisan or micro brew with a funky label and cutesy name. Such beer is available at such places as Clarke's, Beer & Burger Joint, 8 Oz, the Yardhouse and, from 7-11 p.m. Friday, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino's Rock 'n' Brew. It features more than 200 brews accompanied by a variety of food tastings and something no party is complete without: a Hooters Bikini Contest. Presented by 93 Rock, the event also features Miami's rock and power pop band DC 3 and Playboy Magazine's 50th Anniversary Playmate Colleen Shannon, aka the World's Sexiest DJ, on the turntables. Free cab rides home will be available, thanks to BlackBook2's Know When to Say When program, which is ironic because if you are in need of a cab ride, you didn't know when to say when. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 the day of the event and $10 for those lucky designated drivers who didn't know about the free cab ride. www.ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Closer to home on Friday is LIV at the Fontainebleau, where DJ Chachi will spin the same sort of mix that he has spun for Britney Spears, Fergie, Usher and Gwen Stefani. DJs will also be spinning at Play, the new club housed in the space formerly known as The Fifth at 1045 Fifth St., which features new owners (a conglomerate of NFL and NBA stars, including Philadelphia Eagles player Asanti Samuel) and a new look to the tune of $200,000 in renovations. Play will be open Thursdays through Saturdays and feature food service for special events by its preferred caterer, Bill Hansen. Playing at 11:30 p.m. Friday at Jazid is the Grammy-nominated Locos Por Juana. Cover is $10. For a different sort of scene and sound, a local band on the cusp of making it big in the jam scene (according to some groupies) is The Heavy Pets, who plays at 10 p.m. Friday at Tobacco Road. Cover is $6.

For free tickets to see N.E.R.D. on Sunday, the Kia Soul Collective wants you to test drive its 2010 Kia Soul at the Awarehouse, 550 NW 29th St., noon to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday. If you go for a spin on Friday, you'll hear DJ sets by Ray Milian, Mister Drake and Induce, with performances by B.O.B. and J. Cole. Same goes for Saturday, where DJs organicArma, Aramis and Danny Daze will spin. Clipse performs at 4 p.m. On Sunday, DJs Egg Foo Young and Contra play 6:30-10 p.m. N.E.R.D. plays last. www.kiasoulcollective.com.

You know the economy is brittle when swank South of Fifth brasserie Au Pied de Cochon offers $4 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Mon dieu! In addition, check out a daily Blue Hour from 4-7 p.m., featuring reasonably priced bar menu and $5 cocktails, a Green Hour from midnight until 2 a.m. Thursday-Saturdays featuring $3 cocktails and $5 wines, and a Pink Hour from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays featuring $5 Bloody Marys, mimosas, Bellinis and cocktails. It's all colorful in a Picasso sort of way, but as far as we know, Pablo never had a Pabst Blue Ribbon period.

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