Dave Matthews Band Dedicates ‘Mercy’ To Slain Journalist Steven Sotloff In South Florida

Journalist Steven Sotloff spent most of his time traveling for work in the Middle East, but when he was off duty he enjoyed live music from the likes of Phish and the Dave Matthews Band. Sotloff was abducted in August 2013 while on a reporting trip to Syria and was viciously beheaded last September by a member of ISIS with his death documented in a video the terror organization spread worldwide. Matthews took a moment during last night’s DMB show in the region of South Florida where Sotloff lived to dedicate a song to the journalist and his family family.

Matthews dedicated “Mercy” to the memory of Steven Sotloff and also his family and those he loved at Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach on Saturday night. Sotloff’s family was in attendance and had an emotional reaction to a moment they knew their son, brother and cousin would have most certainly appreciated. “Mercy,” off DMB’s most recent album 2012’s Away From The World, has become somewhat of a rarity for the group in 2015. Last night’s version, which as usual featured Matthews on piano, was the band’s first in 23 shows. Saturday’s show also contained the tour debut of “Loving Wings” and was a rare performance on the tour that didn’t see any special guests sit-in.

Here’s the dedication captured by Copperpot’s Landfill:

Watch fan-shot video of last night’s “Mercy” thanks to Shanda Shields:

Steven Sotloff was 31 when he was killed.