OK - I'm going to provide a brief reality check. I am not trying to be mean, I am trying to get you to step back and see the forest instead of the bark on one tree.
You are not a household name. You have no "artistic integrity" to compromise. Really. Without a "well established" and "well known" body of work to set expectations, there is nothing to use to evaluate the "integrity" of your collected works.
There is nothing wrong with having a point of view on the music you like. There is something wrong when you think there is something "wrong" with music that is popular and a commercial success. There is plenty wrong with the music business to go after that does not involve insulting the taste of most of your audience.
The phrasing you use indicates a decidedly negative outlook on the DJs who choose to be "mobile entertainers" and provide a service of playing music for the audience that assembled in front of them. There is nothing magical about DJing as an "art" or as a "service" - but your attitude goes a long way in determining how you see your worth in either situation.
There is nothing wrong with creating a fun atmosphere, or with playing music that speaks to you. In two hours, you have time for 40-ish tracks....more if you mix a lot, less if you let songs play out. In either case, this event is not about 10 songs and it's not about 100 songs.
If you are unable to find 40 songs that fit your style AND are well known enough to be recognized and liked by the audience, then your "artistic integrity" is far too narrowly focused.
Finally, there is nothing quite like a paycheck to validate your choice to be a DJ. I'm more than happy to play Top 40 all night long - and any personal frustration I happen to feel with the music, or the crowd, or the venue vanishes when I cash the check.
With three weeks to go until the gig....how is learning new techniques, experimenting with new loops & maschine packs, and new Fx chains in keeping with your goal of "not make it super complicated."
Do NOT try to reinvent yourself in the next three weeks. Practice what you know, add some SMALL embellishments (if you must) and then use the extra time to read the crowd and react to them.
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