Music Capsule Noraebang

Yes, there is noraebang (Korean karaoke) in Metro Detroit! Music Capsule has private rooms with songbooks filled with Korean, English, & Japanese songs. If you're used to the prices of noraebang in Korea, the sticker shock of the private rooms might sting a bit. For 10 people, we paid $60 an hour, and the room didn't include anju (snacks). However, we were able to bring in our own snacks & beverages. The Metro Detroit Korean Language & Culture Meetup Group went there on Saturday, July 9, 2011! It was a blast! We hope to go back soon!

This noraebang is located at the corner of 9 Mile & Beech Rd. in Southfield. It's in a strip mall that used to also be home to a small Korean market & a Korean restaurant. Those businesses have sadly closed! I hope Music Capsule will survive in this location! It's certainly a wonderful asset to the area!

Important! I tried calling early in the day to make a reservation but didn't leave a message because the voice mail didn't state the company's name. I called again at 9:30p just as we were leaving dinner at New Seoul Garden. At that time, someone answered, & I was able to make a reservation for 10 to arrive between 10p & 10:30p. While we were singing, a line formed out the door. Call first!

michigan continues to deliver surprises.  again, i had always believed the west coast possessed an invincible dominion over the private karaoke room experience.  my reasons for this belief are two-fold:  karaoke is a japanese invention that has been perfected in asia, and quite frankly, there are hella asians on the west coast.  my musical jaunts within these intimate realms have thus far supported my hypothesis, since my most positive experiences have correlated to occidental sites.

that is, until i found music capsule.  in michigan, of all places.

music capsule is private karaoke jeet kune do; it is an expression of effective simplicity.  it is nothing more than a collection of comfortable rooms with karaoke equipment, a restroom, and a counter where you pay for your indulgences.  you will not find food and drink here.  for that, you could probably turn to the adjacent korean and japanese restaurant, or perhaps inquire about bringing your own spirit and vittles.

instead, you will find what i believe to be the most comprehensive library of song selections i have ever encountered.  when i use the word "comprehensive," i do not do so while sitting upon a throne of american cultural pompousness.  their catalog of american songs is acceptable, but music capsule's value is their treasure trove of j-pop and k-pop, with emphasis on the latter.  

as a die-hard k-pop fan, this place made me want to cry.  actual, large, wet, man tears.  they have songs both popular and obscure, classic and fearfully recent.  if i were to open a door somewhere in this place and discover three emaciated psychics floating in a vat of amniotic fluid, reading the k-pop future, i would only be mildly surprised.

aside from j-pop and k-pop, there is also a large thai library, and about a page or so (but it's a good page) of pilipino.  unlike virtually all karaoke places i have been to so far, the equipment here provides you with a score after each song.  and do not worry:  they have tambourines.  

the only complications i foresee are for those that either do not read korean, or are not familiar with the karaoke remote, as all the buttons are labeled in korean.  the proprietor is gracious enough to explain it to you, however.

in summary, if you are looking for a no-nonsense private karaoke experience, go to music capsule.  and if you are looking for no-nonsense private karaoke and have a love for k-pop -- what are you waiting for?