At 18 years old, Matthew Miller seemed like a typical teenager caught up in a rebellious lifestyle on the surface. When Miller arrived in Bend in the fall of 1998, he had spent the fall hitchhiking around the country, somewhat lost in the lure of youthful tendencies.

Drained from the long summer, Miller set out into the Oregon wilderness for five weeks with little to no human contact. Coming out of the forest along McKenzie Highway near the Cougar Hot Springs, Miller noticed a distinct change in his perspectives on life. Many of these perspectives would create the foundation of a successful career performing a mix of reggae, rock and hip-hop inspired by Jewish teachings.

When Miller, now Matisyahu, takes the stage at the McDonald Theater on August 10, he will be an entirely different person than the 18-year-old who walked the same Eugene streets 11 years ago. He has two successful albums: Youth, released in 2006, topped the Billboard reggae charts and led to a Grammy nomination. His second album, Light, released last summer, debuted at 19 on the Billboard top 200 with the single “One Day” featured on an NBC commercial for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Now living in New York City, Matisyahu practices Orthodox Judaism complete with traditional black suit, full-grown payos adorn each side of his head accompanied by a full grown, curly, chest-length beard. This appearance is distinctly different from the shorthaired youth that emerged roadside along McKenzie Pass. Through all of the change and success, Matisyahu can still reflect on the time he spent in the Oregon wilderness.

“I remember that time vividly even though it was 10 or 11 years ago,” Matisyahu said in a phone interview. “When I first came back to civilization, I had really changed; I was becoming something else.”

Following Matisyahu’s transformation, he spent the rest of 1998 and most of 1999 in Bend. There he focused on performing reggae with the band Soulfori. Matisyahu, guitarist Eric Halverson, bassist Brian Woodward, saxophonist/keyboardist Aaron Kreuger and drummer Aaron Chambers played at a number of local venues around Oregon.

“I remember going to open mic at a place called Cafe Paradiso,” Matisyahu said. “It allowed me to perform reggae in front of an audience.”

Soulfori made multiple appearances in Eugene, often playing Taylor’s Bar and Grille.

“I have a lot of nostalgia for Eugene,” Matisyahu said of those days. “I remember seeing Eugene’s counterculture and hippie culture.”

In the later part of 1999, Matisyahu, still going by Matthew Miller, moved to New York City where he became increasingly spiritual and adopted his Hebrew name. There he perfected his innovative style of music, becoming the international figure he is today.

This year’s Light Tour, which passes through 33 U.S. cities over a two-month period, marks Matisyahu’s third time performing in Eugene since he left for the East Coast. Although his appearance and lifestyle are different, Matisyahu carries the influence that his time in the Northwest had on his life and career. It won’t be a homecoming, but it will be a return to a once-influential place.

“I’m looking forward to coming back to the Northwest,” Matisyahu said.