A little rain won’t stop six friends from creating memorable music together. From making music in the dorms to recording in the music studio, the band Light Chance of Rain is making an impact in the music world.
The band was founded by Ella Pinchok, a junior at the University of Tennessee studying music education. The name stemmed from the fact that it rained almost every time they rehearsed.
“It started out with just a few of us getting together to write songs,” Pinchok said. “We collected some super talented musicians. Every time we practice it rains. It is not heavy rain, it’s just this light rain.”
The band performs covers from existing songs as well as creates its own songs. Recently, they got the opportunity to record their newest song in a music studio, Jubilee Studios, located in East Tennessee. The band will be performing their newest single, “Alone Together,” this Friday, Nov. 7, at the Free Store during a solar-powered concert.
While the song is already out on streaming music platforms, like Spotify and YouTube Music, this concert will be the first time they perform it live.
“‘Alone Together’ came from a moment on top of a mountain with the person I love,” Pinchok said. “Two young hearts catching their breath after hiking up valleys and finally feeling at home.”
The band has been working alongside the social impact coordinator for the UT Free Store, Nathaniel Pfeiffer.
“The Free Store was looking for bands to come out and play,” Pinchok said. “We said, hey, we’d love to be a part of what you are doing. It is actually going to be solar-powered. I think it is so cool that it is going to be based on sustainability and also going to be free to everyone,” Pinchok said.
The Magnolia Brothers, another student-led band, will also perform at the event as the show’s opener.
“It’s sort of like an outdoor indie yard show,” Pfeiffer said. “We’re doing a sort of tandem thing where I and a few others of our staff will be staffing the free store.”
The audience will not only get to hear good music but also have the chance to walk around the Free Store. This store operates like a thrift store, giving back to the UT community.
“We are a sustainable thrifting initiative here on campus,” Pfeiffer said. “We essentially take surplus donations from the campus community and the general Knoxville community. We just give the items that we receive for free.”
Pfeiffer also collaborated with sustainable transportation and infrastructure coordinator Cash Winn, who works alongside the Office of Sustainability. Winn emphasizes the importance of solar power for our environment.
“Our electricity is provided by TVA, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and they produce their electricity in a variety of ways,” Winn said. “By using solar power to plug into the batteries charged by the sun, we’re avoiding emitting carbon altogether using that electricity.”
They plan to leave the mobile solar generator built by UT Facilities Services out to charge it with the sun. By concert time, it will be ready to run.
“During the daytime, whenever it is bright and sunny, it’s just sitting there constantly charging,” Pfeiffer said. “It doesn’t take long to charge. In full sunlight, it can’t be anything longer than like five hours to go full charge. It can power a (1,200 square foot) house for about four hours.”
This week’s concert is one of many to come in the future for the Free Store. The store also hopes to continue to use solar power for all future concerts.
This article has been updated on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025 for clarity on the power generation provided by the Free Store.
