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I'm hoping someone can please help me.

My friend was able to snag a couple of wrist bands to an underground gig but I don't know where it is or how to get in. He was whispering when he handed me a poster and the band, trying to keep it between us. The downside was that I didn't hear everything he said. Now I can't get hold of him and the gig is tonight!

He said something about the block of text on the poster, I noticed his copy had letters marked out and numbers jotted down the edge. Here's what mine says:

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

The text looks different on the poster, I'm not sure if that helps?

This is my copy of the poster:

He also said that if I had trouble or forgot what to do, that the wrist band should jog my memory. It doesn't.

This is my band:

I'm hoping someone can make sense of this and help me translate with the information given. If not, I'll be missing out.

I need location specifics and a password to give at the door.

Thank you for your time.

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+50
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Alright, I think I've got it. Thanks Rubio and GentlePurpleRain for the upfront legwork and deciphering the morse code!

Solution:

Location: Door marked X, Opposite Sid's Records, Freeman St
Password: COMETBUS

Decoded message from poster:

DOOR MRKD X OPP SIDS RECODS FREEMAN ST PASS COMETBUS

How to decode:

1. Ignore all letters in the block of text other than the regular font lowercase a's, b's, and c's.
2. Start counting the a's between every b, using the wristband morse code hint to decipher: FIRST (a) is key, SECOND (b) is end char, THIRD (c) are breaks
3. The number of a's represents a letter in the alphabet (A1Z26 encoding).

Bonus notes:
Rearranging bold/italic letters: icrgspneoa = "ignore caps"
Decoding just the numbers in the poster yields "Red Herring". (i.e. false clue)

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  • $\begingroup$ Yep! You've solved it completely, even the superfluous information :D $\endgroup$ – BreakingMyself Jul 1 '17 at 7:48
  • $\begingroup$ Bounty awarded, well done :) $\endgroup$ – BreakingMyself Jul 1 '17 at 8:05
  • $\begingroup$ Nice job! I couldn't make sense of the band directions - glad you could! $\endgroup$ – Rubio♦ Jul 1 '17 at 11:23
  • $\begingroup$ @Rubio the bold/italic letters you discovered may have helped narrow that down ;) $\endgroup$ – BreakingMyself Jul 1 '17 at 20:25
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    $\begingroup$ Bold/italic letters are: icrgspneoa = ignore caps. Thanks for the bounty @BreakingMyself. This was a fun puzzle! $\endgroup$ – roboto Jul 5 '17 at 19:16
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Partial solution

Just getting started ...

The band list:

* FE(A)T *       (the "A" is in a red circle)
------------
CRYPTO-CATS
ANTIROT(13)
THE JOE
PANTOLIANO
EXPERIENCE
BINARY-
  DENIAL
SALAD
  FACE
SPECIAL
GUESTS:
THE RED
HERRINGS!!

The text looks different on the poster, I'm not sure if that helps?

Unless I've missed something, the correct transcription including the hard-to-see italics on the poster is:
DaGaJM18aKabaOaUaaVaXaaiaaaPBaEaaXaabAaWaSaNaXacaaaLLaIaQ
TaaaFaaC5baaXaaHaaTaaRaaXaaaaaaaXarbcaaQaaaaXaaTaaaXaabaa
aQaaaXaaa4aaaaaaOaaabaMaaaaXaaUaaaabaaRaabcaaaXaaaaXaaaAa
aaHaaaaBaa8aXaaKaabcaaDaaIaagaaaaXaaaaabaaaaaaQaaXaaBaaAa
aaabaaIaaaO5aaVaaTaGaXaaaaabcaPaaOaaaXaaAaaaMaaaaaaNaabaa
aaEaaaaabaaX18aabaaaaaaEaaaXaaaCaaaaaaabcaXaaaaaFaaaaaRaa
GaaaCaabaaaJaa18baaabaaVaLaaaaaHaaaaJaaabaaXaIabaaaMaaFaa
UaaTaaaJasaaaMaa9LabcaaaaaRabaaaTaIaHaaNaaaPaaaaaEaaabapa
aIaSabaBaOaaabaaR14aaaaAaaSaaOaaababaaaaaOaaXaRaWaaNaaabc
aFaaaKaaaUaaaaRaaWa6aDaaXaabaaaaaJPaaaXaDaanaaaNaaaaLaabc
aaaaaaSaaaHaaaKaBaaabAPabaaIaaXaaaCaaaBaXaaJaaaeaaabaaaGa
aaaaaSaaKaaTTaaEaaaKabcXaaabaaXaaOaaaoaaaaXaaaTabaaXaSaaU
aaaaWaNaLOLaabaaKaaabaaXaaUaXaaIaaaXaaaRaaaaaFaabaabaaRaa
aXaJaaaHaaaNaXaaaOaaDaaLabaXaJaDaaaAaaaEaXaaaBaaaFaaSabca

the wrist band should jog my memory

The wristband has Morse code, which translates to:
FIRST IS KEY SECOND END CHARACTER THIRD BREAKS

@GentlePurpleRain points out in comments that the numbers on the end of the band, 11 5 25,
are A1Z26 codes for KEY.

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  • $\begingroup$ That was fast! You may have missed a bit. Good luck with the rest. $\endgroup$ – BreakingMyself Jun 27 '17 at 14:00
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    $\begingroup$ As @BreakingMyself indicated, you missed a word. It should be FIRST IS KEY SECOND END CHARACTER THIRD BREAKS. $\endgroup$ – GentlePurpleRain♦ Jun 27 '17 at 14:13
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    $\begingroup$ Also note that 11 5 25 on the end of the wristband translates to KEY. $\endgroup$ – GentlePurpleRain♦ Jun 27 '17 at 14:14
  • $\begingroup$ @Rubio Did you manage to make any further progress? I'm hoping my 'baked-in' hints are enough but please let me know if you need to be pointed in the right direction (although you've made good work so far, so probably don't need it). $\endgroup$ – BreakingMyself Jun 28 '17 at 10:15

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