There is more than one right way to do this.

I don't do set lists, because I'm not clairvoyant enough to know what song would be absolutely best for the audience 10 minutes from now. That's why I use a laptop and not a mp3 player.

When playing I watch the audience to determine what I should play next. One example: If they are on the dance floor and looking like they are getting tired, calling another fast song would not be the best thing to do. So judging from what I already know about the audience I might pick a slow song, if there are ballroom dance types I might choose a 'specialty' dance that they would get up for while the others catch their breath and sip their drink, play a request that doesn't fit anywhere else, or it might be time to make an announcement.

On the opposite side, if they look like they need another fast song, I can free one hand for a couple of seconds to call up the next song and hit enter as soon as the song I'm currently playing is done. Sometimes 3 seconds between fast songs is too long, because once they make the decision to go back to their tables, not much will change their mind. It's easier playing a fast song when the dance floor is crowded.

I can make the decision of what would my experience tells me what would be best for the audience 15 seconds before the song ends, and it will only take 2 seconds to cue up the next song.

I couldn't do that with a tablet or mp3 player. Sometimes I only have 2 seconds to call up the next tune.

My philosophy is to give the audience what they need, when they need it, even if they don't know what they need and when they need it. I look at their clothes and shoes before starting (you can tell a lot from that), decide what to play, see how it's going over, near the end of that one call up the next song, and repeat until the gig is done.

I figure that if I give them a better experience than my competition, I'll get more gigs. So far that has worked, at least until COVID-19 knocked on our door. I've actually had to block out time and refuse gigs to take an annual vacation.

Computer reliability

I've been using ThinkPad computers on the gig since 2002, when IBM still made them. There is a spare up and running at all times. Since 2002 when I started using ThinPads, I've needed the spare twice.

(1) the hard drive started making a mechanical noise so between songs I moved the USB end of the USB->Audio interface to the next computer. The audience never knew there was a problem. Next day I replaced the Hard Drive

(2) The CMOS battery went out. This is the first time that happened and I didn't know I could manually enter date and time and boot the computer, so I went to the spare. The repair was a $5 'coin battery'. That was on one of my 2002 computers, and it's still running today.

I wouldn't use a different brand of computer, only ThinkPads because of their reputation.

I saw a video tour of the International Space Station, and they have two, redundant ThinkPad computers that regulate all the life support functions of the space station like oxygen, cabin pressure, etc. Obviously NASA feels ThinkPads are the most reliable too.

But like I said, there is more than one right way to do this.

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

100% MIDI Super-Styles recorded by live, pro, studio musicians for a live groove
& Fake Disks for MIDI and/or RealTracks