Have you spotted Boba Fett playing the accordion around town? The man behind the mask is Nathan Stodola, and when he's not entertaining passersby with nerd anthems from Star Wars, Legend of Zelda, and more—he's plotting how to make a better bike lane, a better bus lane, and overall improve the city's mass transit system. Stodola has two masters degrees in Engineering, and is currently looking for a job that will allow him to do just that—but hasn't he already improved the mass transit experience by playing his instrument? Below, he tells us more about his life as Boba Fett, and as Nathan Stodola.
You are known on the streets, and on the internet, as the accordion-playing Boba Fett... but who are you "in real life"? Behind the Renegade Accordion is Nathan Stodola, engineer, musician, and past planetarium presenter. I've even created the binary sunset (Tatooine-style) in one of my planetarium shows, while queuing John Williams on the sound system.
Last we spoke you had received two masters degrees in Engineering and were actively seeking a job in Transportation—any luck? What's your dream job? Still in the same spot—a couple leads, but they fell through. I'm looking for a job to improve mass transit use and reduce dependence (though not necessarily use) of the automobile.
What about NYC's transportation system/infrastructure would you change? Bus-only lanes need to be enforced, or better yet, physically separated. Double parked cars or just general traffic make New York have some of the slowest buses in the country, with an average speed of under 10 miles per hour. There was a lot of hubbub about the second avenue select bus service, but it's not much use if cars keep getting in the way.
And what about bike lanes? I'll preface by saying I'm an avid cyclist (not the spandex racing bike type, but I do ride 7 miles to my temporary consulting job). Although Wait Wait Don't Tell Me's P.J. O'Rourke abhors bike lanes (and bikes too it seems), I think they are useful in encouraging cycling. However, like bus lanes, they need to be enforced. They would be much more successful (and possibly less onerous to non-cyclists) if the lanes were fewer in number but greater in protection. Any delivery truck can park in the way if there's nothing more than some stencils on the ground, but if the lane is separated either by parked cars themselves or "street furniture" (apparently the technical term for everything from planters to those white floppy barriers), then they actually become useful. So I would advise Commissioner Sadik-Khan to funnel bikers into a limited number of high quality corridors rather than just painting a bunch of stripes. The completion of Riverside Park around 90th St and again at 125th greatly eases bike travel on the west side. The next priority should be finishing its eastern sibling by eliminating the long gap at midtown and around 125th St. Drivers won't even see cyclists on these outer loops and so won't complain about them weaving through traffic, while bikers will flock to the new "expressways" that lack traffic lights. That's what I would do if I were in charge.
Why did you choose Boba Fett as your costume? I had made my spiffy cardboard helmet for a Halloween costume and then decided to try wearing it while I played to see if it improved my earnings. It worked!
How much do you make on an average day Boba-busking? The most I've ever made playing was outside of the New York City ComicCon last fall, when I literally filled my backpack with $1 bills. On average, it is much less than that, but well over minimum wage.
What's the strangest thing you've received for playing? I get foreign coins all the time—not just Euros and Canadian money, but coins from Singapore, Russia, and the Caribbean too. I also get drawings of me playing.
When did you start playing accordion? I really got into it during college when I would bring it to all my Ultimate Frisbee games as a sort of one-man pep band. I took piano lessons for many years growing up, so the right hand was easy, and I just had to figure out the buttons.
Where is your favorite place in the city to play? And is there anywhere you'd like to play here that you haven't gotten to yet? The best spots (outside of ComicCon) are by the 12th and 20th St exits to the High Line (when it is nice out). Underground, it's the 14th St corridor: the 6th Av L stop, Union Square L, Bedford Av L, and the downtown F/M 14th St. Also, someone surprisingly, Jay St / MetroTech is outstanding. Union Square is probably the best but it's always crowded so I only play if I'm lucky enough to get a spot.
Do you have a good "only in New York" moment you can share? All 3 stories are from the 20th St High Line exit.
—One time, I was playing, and this British guy looks at me all surprised and says, "Oh, it's you! I saw your videos on YouTube and thought 'maybe I'll see him when I come to New York,' and here you are!"
—A police cruiser was driving by eastbound on 20th, and then at the light, they pulled a U-turn, which is odd, because it's a one-way street. I stopped playing to get my print-out of the laws stating I could play there, when they pulled up, rolled down the window and asked, "Do you know the Castlevania Theme?"
—Another time, an unmarked, suspicious looking white van was stopped at the stoplight, and when the light turned, pulled up to the curb and opened the door with a dollar bill in hand and said "I love music from Last of the Mohicans!"
