“Here’s To The Handsome Guitarist”

“It’s nice to have the family all in one room and most of you know what I mean by the family — the NHV and CT music family,” said singer-songwriter Frank Critelli, who took a break from his bartending duties on Thursday afternoon to take the stage at Cafe Nine and talk about his friend and fellow musician Sean Beirne, who passed away on Monday from a brain aneurysm at the age of 39.

“You know how you look at a painting and the artist paints it in such a way that it draws your eyes to a specific point in that painting, something he wants you to notice? Well every time I looked at the stage and Sean Beirne was on it, Sean Beirne was that point. He was always the focus for me.”

Beirne was also the focus of this gathering Thursday night, which that ​“Sean’s favorite favorite place,” as noted by singer-songwriter Kriss Santala, almost wall to wall. The gathering followed services at St. Thomas More Chapel for the local musician and songwriter, known as the ​“handsome guitarist.”

Beirne had been a part of the New Haven music scene since his college days in a variety of bands — The Battlecats, Joanie Loves Tchotchkes, Chore Boys and most recently The Haunting Titans.

Family, friends and former bandmates all gathered to have a few drinks and share their love and memories as well as listen to live music where Sean himself was often found doing the same. Musician Shellye Valauskas announced early on that Santala had a sign-up sheet for anyone who wanted to play a song. The stage was set up with a drum set and mics, as well as flowers and a framed picture of Beirne. A slideshow of photos from through Beirne’s lifetime, ranging from childhood family photos to stage performances put together by Beirne’s friend Franki Murphy and cousin Deirdre Fearon, was played continuously through the afternoon on the far left wall of the bar while collages of pictures were hung to the right of the stage.

Friends and fellow musicians took their turns up at the mic, beginning with Kriss Santala, who sat with her guitar and spoke of her friend. She had played with Beirne in Joanie Loves Tchotchke. ​“I would love it when he would come in Fridays early in the day and keep me company when nobody was here,” she said. ​“I’m lucky enough to be on a recording with him.” She chose that song to play.

Lil Jo, who told the crowd she played with Beirne in a band called Death to New England, remarked that it was ​“so beautiful to see everyone” at the gathering. ​“Seanie and I have been in touch recently working on a four-track album of cover songs which you guys have been hearing a little bit of today,” she told the crowd before playing two original songs. ​“Hopefully we will be getting that out to you guys soon.”

Valauskas came back to the stage with her guitar and drummer Bruce Crowder, saying she had not intended to perform because she had recently broken a rib. She changed her mind because ​“it’s for Sean,” she said.

Musician Taylor Joyner noted that the time was ​“as perfect as a bunch of Sean’s friends gathered in one place at the same time without Sean.” He sang a song called ​“Off He Goes” that he said has been with him since he heard the news of Beirne’s passing on Monday. ​“It’s been a tough week, folks,” he said.

Freddy B said he used to work behind the bar at Cafe Nine ​“for a long time.” He brought a universal view to the proceedings. ​“The world is in a crazy place right now,” he told the audience before playing his song. ​“I’d like to take all this love that’s here in New Haven with all of you and send it out to the rest of the world because we have it pretty good compared to some other places.”

Christian Marrone spoke about the song he was to play, called ​“Slip,” that was ​“about the life of an artist.”

“This life chooses you,” he added, ​“and Sean never gave up or disregarded his spirit. It was very admirable and inspirational.”

Others got up to speak in between the musical performances. Dawn Mosher said she had dated Beirne years ago . She said she was ​“terrified of public speaking, but I’m doing this for Sean.”

“It goes without saying Sean was an amazing person,” Mosher continued. ​“He was so much fun to be with. He was entertaining and kind and loving and very smart. He had a flair for the dramatic at times that he attributed to his mom Sheila and her background in theater.” This garnered applause from the audience as she gestured toward Beirne’s mother. She then told a story of him shocking her friends with a quote that she learned years later was not his, but from the movie Wayne’s World, noting that ​“it was great because I felt like years after the fact Sean was still making me laugh, and that’s the thing I think we can take away, that he was someone that we can appreciate more and more over time. I feel like I was really lucky to know him. He’ll always be in my heart.”

Former neighbors came up and told stories of his younger years, and his bandmate Sara Murphy, vocalist from The Haunting Titans, came up and spoke of him in more recent times.

“Last time I stood on this stage Sean was right over my right shoulder,” Murphy said, her voice breaking but impassioned. ​“He spent about two years standing next to me and it was the best, most amazing two years that I have ever had in my life. He gave me a chance to do something I didn’t even know I was good at, and I wouldn’t have believed anyone else if they had told me. You could look right into him and know he was full of truth and genuine kindness and cared about everybody he knew and loved his family so much.”

She received much applause and agreement from the audience. He ​“always had an idea for a song in his head, even if we just wrote three in a week, he still had three more ready to go whenever,” Murphy continued. ​“He came into my life with a ​‘hey now’ and literally changed my existence. I’m really gonna miss him.”

She also spoke of the future of The Haunting Titans. ​“All of our music is his,” she said, ​“and we’re gonna play it forever for him.”

“Raise your glasses,” said Critelli. ​“Here’s to the handsome guitarist.”