by Teresa Gubbins

Lineup is also morphing from punk to metal.

FRISCO — Music fans know about the annual South By Southwest Music Conference taking place next week in Austin. But closer to home -- Frisco, to be exact -- locals will see South By So What, a one-day music fest put on by Plano-based Third String Productions.

Suicide Silence

The event is on Sunday, March 14 and features two dozen bands, some punk, some metal, with headliners Suicide Silence, Attack Attack, and Alesana.

What stands out about that lineup is the fact that, unlike previous rendition of this event, the bands are mostly national touring acts, says Harrison Blum, a spokesman for the promoter, Plano-based Third-String Productions.

"All these bands are on pretty big tours, all have record deals, have been around a while, and are on top of the pack," he says. "In previous years, the focus was local but this year, it's only a handful of local bands and the rest are national touring acts."

One thing that helped that transition was the change of venue. In its past two years, South By So What took place at the Plano Centre. This year, for the first time, it's at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco.

"We're excited about the change," Blum says. "It means arena seating, with a much better sound system, and so these are a lot bigger bands than last year."

They got their feet wet at Dr Pepper with their Christmas concert, Unsilent Night.

"We were really surprised at how good it sounded, for a hockey rink -- like a regular music venue," he says.

Like Ozzfest and Warped, they'll have multiple stages, including two in front of the venue which can alternate bands so that one sets up while another band plays. Like Ozzfest and Warped, there'll be band booths and meet & greets.

But the major benefit of holding shows at a venue like this is that it meets the audience in its own backyard. They expect a turnout of about 4,000 to 4,500.

"We get kids from all over, it's kids from all those high schools whose parents can't drive them to downtown Dallas to go to shows," Blum says. "Dr Pepper Arena is closer to home. It has security, and places for parents to wait. There’s a lounge and a bar with flat-screen TVs."

Another change with this year's event is that it's a little more metallic than in the two previous punky versions, with the three top headliners all falling into various "core" categories: "deathcore" band Suicide Silence, metalcore band Attack Attack, and hardcore band Alesana.

"We've been promising to do a metal festival and this is it; it's probably as much metal as punk rock," says Blum.

As for the name South By So What, it's meant less as a rag on the Austin fest and more as a light-hearted spin.

"We do not have an attitude against SXSW," he says. "We're just making a one-day festival with some of the bands that are already going down."