Originating from Northern Idaho, Piston was let loose on the world shortly after the disappearance of Harris Burdick. He quickly learned to conceal his panache and wicked insight behind a facade of normalcy, but to this day is unable to mask his inexplicable appeal to buzzards and other scavengers of the animal kingdom.

Nowadays, Piston can be found in the neighborhood diners of San Francisco, building songs out of c-clamps and storm clouds or hibernating beneath a blanket of scotch and omel...